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Learning something new with our body is neuromuscular, says running coachEric Orton.

Because running is repetitive, its environmental, its interactive, youre usually doing other things when youre running.

And its an intrinsic human motion we learn when were really young.

woman sweating in the gym

triathlete and running coach

So for all those reasons, its really hard to change your running form, especially in real time.

Hard, but not impossible.

But if changing your running form isnt as easy as just… doing it, howdoyou improve it?

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

And what is good running form, anyway?

Youll end up stressing a different area that youre not used to stressing.

Another factor: Running form is hard to measure.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

Does your running form evenneedto change?

Whether runners should be actively working on their form to become more efficient is a slightly complicated question.

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triathlete and running coach

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And, says Orton, a more efficient form can help with what he calls muscle equilibrium.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

We take away that tug and pull and the tightness weve been conditioned to think is normal for runners.

Good running form is unique to the person, she says.

The bottom line: It is worth working toward better running (with the right guidance!)

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

Dont put your muscles through that transformation while youre doing high volume, he says.

Baird has runners do form intervals: Lets say its a three-mile run.

When they come on, attempt to run that cadence, she says.

When they go away, make a run at maintain it, but dont think about it.

He recommends incorporating shortsprints(or strides) into your runs focused on maintaining your best form.

Were so obsessed with hacking, with quickly hijacking something, says Baird.

That will never work, because your body is made of cells that change over time.

As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the raceby becoming faster, eventually.

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