Mileage, workouts, and shoes often get the spotlight in training plans. But the way you move—your running form—can be just as critical. Efficient mechanics help you run faster with less effort and lower your injury risk. Inefficient mechanics, on the other hand, waste energy and pile stress onto your joints.
Here are 10 signs your running form may be working against you—and how to recognize and correct it.
1. Overstriding
When your foot lands too far in front of your body, you create a braking effect with every step. This slows your forward momentum and puts extra stress on your knees and hips. Overstriding often shows up in long runs and limits how smoothly you can run at faster paces.
How to spot and fix it: Have someone film you from the side. If your foot strikes the ground noticeably ahead of your knee and hip, or if you feel like you’re “slamming the brakes” each step, you’re overstriding.
Try cadence drills: 30 seconds of quicker steps focusing on landing under your hips, 30 seconds of walking, repeat 6–8 times. Strengthen glutes with single-leg deadlifts and step-ups to power the leg backward instead of reaching forward.
2. Slamming your heel into the ground
Heel striking isn’t automatically bad—many elite marathoners land on their heels. The problem comes when you land with force, sending shock straight up your shins and knees. Forceful heel striking also wastes energy on braking.
How to spot and fix it: Run on a quiet path. If your heel thumps loudly every step, or you regularly deal with shin splints, you’re landing too hard.
Add short barefoot strides on grass once or twice a week to encourage softer landings. Do calf raises and ankle-mobility drills to improve shock absorption. Increase cadence slightly to help reduce force per stride.
3. Low cadence
Cadence refers to steps per minute. A low cadence usually means long, slow strides that keep your foot on the ground too long, increasing impact and lowering efficiency.
Low cadence raises the load per step, which can lead to overuse injuries in the shins, knees, or hips, and makes it harder to run faster.
How to spot and fix it: Count your steps for one minute during an easy run. If you’re under ~160, cadence may be too low. Most GPS watches track this automatically.
Use a metronome app or playlist to nudge cadence up gradually by 5 steps per minute at a time.
Practice “fast feet” drills—run in place lifting knees just a few inches as quickly as possible for 20 seconds.
During runs, aim to hold your new cadence for short segments, then extend as it feels natural.
Related: 9 Drills That Instantly Improve Your Running Form
4. Slouching shoulders or rounded posture
Hunched shoulders reduce your ability to take in air and make your stride less fluid. Desk posture often carries into running form, especially late in runs when fatigue sets in.
Slouching forces your body to work harder for the same pace, slowing you down and raising the chance of neck, shoulder, and back pain.
How to spot and fix it: Check your shadow or reflection in windows. If your shoulders creep forward or your head drops down, you’re collapsing. Neck or upper-back tightness after runs is another clue.
Strengthen your upper back with wall angels and band pull-aparts. On runs, cue yourself with “proud chest, relaxed shoulders.” Try wiggling your fingers mid-run—if you can’t, your upper body is too tense.
5. Excessive vertical bounce
When your stride sends you up instead of forward, you waste energy and increase impact forces. Extra bounce also increases pounding on knees, ankles, and hips.
How to spot and fix it: Watch a video of yourself from the side. If your head bobs significantly with each step, you’re bouncing. Some running watches also report vertical oscillation.
Focus on “quiet head” strides—have a friend film you against a steady background. Add plyometrics like box jumps, jump rope, and squat jumps to improve elastic energy and train quicker ground contact.
6. Arms crossing your body
When arms swing across your torso, your body rotates side to side instead of propelling forward. This twisting wastes energy, slows your rhythm, and can lead to back or shoulder tightness.
How to spot and fix it: If your elbows cross your midline or your shirt gets damp from arm contact on your torso, your swing is crossing over.
Practice standing arm swings in front of a mirror, elbows bent at 90°, moving straight forward and back.
On runs, check if your thumbs brush your waistband—that’s the efficient forward drive you want.
Related: 9 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Faster—No Matter How Much You Run
7. Tense upper body or clenched fists
Tension in your shoulders, arms, or jaw makes your stride stiff and less efficient. Tension wastes energy, accelerates fatigue, and often causes your form to break down late in runs, slowing you down.
How to spot and fix it: Notice mid-run if your shoulders creep toward your ears or your fists clench tight. Post-run soreness in traps or a locked jaw are other signs.
Periodically shake out your arms mid-run, letting them dangle before returning to stride. Imagine holding an egg in each hand without cracking it.
Shoulder rolls and gentle stretches pre-run help reset tension.
8. Hips swaying side to side
If your hips rotate excessively, energy is lost sideways instead of forward. Weak glutes are often to blame.
Hip drop contributes to IT band syndrome, lower-back strain, and inefficient energy transfer.
How to spot and fix it: Have someone film you from behind. If one hip drops noticeably each step, or your shorts show rubbing along the inner thighs, your pelvis isn’t stable.
Strengthen glutes and core with clamshells, monster walks, and side planks. Try single-leg hops to train stability under load.
9. Heavy, loud footfalls
If you sound like you’re stomping, you’re hitting the ground too hard. Loud landings increase impact stress, raising risk for shin splints and stress fractures, and waste energy that should be propelling you forward.
How to spot and fix it: You shouldn’t hear your own footsteps from far away. On a treadmill, echoing thuds are a giveaway.
Imagine running on a wooden floor at night trying not to wake anyone. Shorten your stride slightly and focus on softer, quicker landings.
Strengthen calves and Achilles with eccentric heel drops to improve shock absorption.
10. Uneven wear on your shoes
Shoes often reveal inefficiencies you don’t feel. Worn tread on one side can signal pronation, supination, or imbalance.
Imbalances amplify over long distances, increasing injury risk in ankles, knees, and hips, and limiting efficient push-off.
How to spot and fix it: Place your shoes on a flat surface. If they tilt to one side or have uneven wear, your gait likely needs attention.
Rotate between at least two pairs of running shoes to avoid reinforcing one pattern.
Add single-leg balance drills (30 seconds eyes open, then eyes closed) to even out small asymmetries.
Consider a gait analysis at a running store or clinic for tailored adjustments.
Related: 7 Secrets to Running Faster Without Injury
The bottom line
Nobody runs with flawless mechanics, and minor quirks aren’t always harmful. But if you notice these 10 signs, they may be slowing you down or putting you at risk for injury. Addressing them—one at a time—can help you run more efficiently, stay healthy, and enjoy smoother, faster miles.
