Stupid question...how do you position your hands when you run? (Read 869 times)

Hey Sushigirl... I pretty much have them in tight, elbows at 90 degrees and hands relaxed with a thumbs up for some reason. Just click on my profile pick....that's how they always are until my shoulders get tight and then I'll shake them out for a bit.

What i do is pretty much just let them hang loose. i dont know if thats how you should do it but it works for me and is most comfortable.

Hands are loose. If Im running right, my thumbs will brush my pockets. Or where my pockets would be if I had them.

Arms at a 90 degree angel, hands loose. The advise I was given was to hold your hand as if you were holding a parakeet and that seems to work for me. I've also figured out that race pictures look better with arms bent than they do hanging down at your side. Okay, so I want to look good in the pictures! Rose

I have the thumbs up hand position as well, I don't mean to do it, but it's just comfortable for me, my arms are higher than they need to be most of the time and that's why my shoulders are sore after a really good run. I was told I run like I used to be a Sprinter, I was'nt. Who knows....

I think people spend too much time worrying about their form. The more miles you run, the better your body will adapt and become more economical. Here is an interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/fashion/11Best.html "Researchers are finding that easy assumptions about exercise economy just don’t hold up under rigorous study. Take the idea that you can tell who is an economical runner or cyclist by watching the person perform. Not true, researchers say. The only way to know is with tests in a lab. Dr. Daniels showed this in a study in which he videotaped runners. Then he sent the videos to coaches and biomechanics experts, and asked which were the more economical runners. “They couldn’t tell, no way at all,” he said. But can runners become more economical if they change their form? The surprising answer seems to be no, said Dr. Krahenbuhl. In fact, he said, every study that asked what happened after runners changed their natural form found that running economy declined."

relaxed,hands cross around pockets or hip bones..unlike some of the pics I have seen. I never bring my hands across my body...i take my hands straight from the hip and straight out and up (but not too far unless really running hard), never across too much. Somewhere, a long time ago...my older brother told me that everytime you cross through your body with your hands and arm swing it collapses the lungs just a little bit, and oxygen flow is huge in distance running. He was the purest runner I have ever seen...so, whether its true or not...it sorta of stuck.