Ryan’s Running Technique Tip No. 2: Forward lean

Gravity – we all know what that is especially since we experience it every single day. Some days though it feels like someone cranked up the ‘Gravity dial’ and those stairs just seem so much harder to climb, when other days it’s a breeze.

Well, despite “Big G” being classified as a constant in physics, there is speculation amongst modern scientists that gravitational forces do fluctuate, so that may or may not explain why some days it feels harder to move than others, who knows.

Either way, gravity is here to stay and we can have it as friend or foe, working in our favour or working against us at our own will whilst we run.

Now, when most people run they either run in a bolt upright position or in a swayback posture where they kind of lean back slightly from the waist. This results in the center of gravity sitting more posteriorly from the center of your mass - more towards the back of the body. In these instances, gravity is working against you, always trying to pull you back as you try to propel yourself forwards which is obviously a very inefficient way of running – kind of like driving your car with the handbrake half way on.

The goal of the forward lean is to bring your center of gravity more anteriorly, towards the front of your body so that gravity will now help pull you along, matching the direction that you are trying to move in.

To achieve this, the forward lean must begin at the ankles. Start by standing with feet hip width apart and begin to lean your whole body forward bending at the ankles keeping knees, hips and everything above in a straight line until you feel as though you are going to fall forward. At a certain point in this lean, your foot will automatically drive forward out in front of you to prevent you from falling flat on your face.

Let your leading leg do its job whilst you continue to lean forward and see that your other leg will drive out forward to stop you from falling again. It’ll feel a bit jerky and cumbersome to start with but just let it flow and things will smooth out. Its this falling forward feeling that you want to strive for whilst running.

Ryan will be holding a Running Techniques workshop on the morning of Saturday 20th June where he’ll be coaching a small group of people though his 5 technique tips to better running.

Keep an eye out for Ryan’s Running Technique Tip No. 3 coming up soon…


Ryan Phillips is widely recognized as a leading expert on health and fitness. As a Personal Trainer and Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist, Ryan specializes in body re-composition, resistance training (RTS - Resistance Training Specialist) and sports injuries, prevention and rehabilitation.

During his 11+ years as a freelance Personal Trainer Ryan has personally helped hundreds of clients from all around the world to lose weight, transform their bodies and regain control of their health and wellbeing. With clients as far a field as Australia and New Zealand - due to the wonders of the internet - Ryan has been able to reach out and help people get in great shape and recover from injuries from all around the world via Skype.

Ryan has developed his own unique “Fat Loss System for Success” which takes a holistic approach to weight loss and addresses the three main areas of exercise, diet and lifestyle.

Over the last decade, Ryan has presented at many gatherings and conferences, delivering his information and knowledge in a dynamic and engaging manor. Ryan holds full status on the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPs) and holds full world wide Public Liability Insurance.

Ryan has been featured on BBC Radio Berkshire, he has also featured in Zest magazine, Health Magazine and has appeared on numerous occasions in the media proving to be a valuable source of health and fitness related information to audiences world wide.

More information at: www.phillips-fit.co.uk