J. Gregory Gerdel
Whether you are running or walking, how you are using your arms has a significant impact on the efficiency of your movement, and even your breathing.
Since the objective is forward motion, consider how that is either supported or constricted by the way your arms are moving. While the running/walking communities, and the shoe industry in particular, pay a great deal of attention to the movement of legs and feet, surprisingly little attention is directed to the motion of the arms. The consequences are readily observable on sidewalks and recreation paths everywhere.
Typically, many people, especially when running, will swing their arms across the upper body with their hands arriving in front of the chin at the height of the forward swing. On the ‘downswing’ the motion stops when the hands come back to the hips. This motion is literally misdirected and constricts efficient breathing.
Going Forward with the Pendulum Swing
Keeping in mind that we are intending to move forward, this strategy is to swing the arms straight ahead, not across the body. Hands and shoulders should be relaxed. That’s how deep breathing becomes easy. If you hike your shoulders up, as people often do when the arm swing is crosswise, you are immediately constricting your diaphragm and the quantity of oxygen drawn into your lungs.
To get the full benefit of the pendulum arm swing, the backswing should go past the hips with relaxed hands providing a little gravity-assisted snap to launch the forward swing. Runners, especially sprinters, sometimes hold their fingers in a straight, Karate-chop position, possibly thinking this will provide an aerodynamic advantage. On the other hand, consider that the tension and energy required to keep the hands and fingers rigid is not going to contribute to moving forward, particularly if you are going more than 100 meters. That tension is also a constraint on the fluid, easy swing of the arms.
Try it!
You can compare the effect of arm swing even standing still. If you swing your arms across the body, you will feel a twist in the lower back, hips, or both. Then switch to the full, straightforward pendulum swing and feel your body relax into alignment. It’s like learning a new trick and may take some conscious practice to change an ingrained habit, but put this forward-directed motion assist into action walking, running, or sprinting.
Another way to see the difference this can make is to have a friend take a video of you in motion with the different styles of arm swing. It looks as different as it will feel.
That accomplished, it may be time to consider what’s going on with stride and foot plant.
