Chi Running Guide: The 5 Key Elements + How To Practice It

Designed to increase running efficiency while decreasing the risk of injury, chi running is said to promote a more natural running technique ... Skiptocontent Menu 4 shares Share Tweet Pin ChirunningisamodernrunningtechniquewhichdrawsinfluencefromtheancientpracticeofTaiChi. TaiChiisaChinesemartialartthatpurportstogeneratechi,thelifeenergy,andhaveitmovefreelythroughyourbody.Similarly,chirunningaimstoallowthechiflowthroughyourbodybyfocusingonanefficient,aligned,andneutralrunningstyle. ThetechniqueisthebrainchildofAmericanTaiChipractitionerandultramarathonrunnerDannyDreyer,whointhelate90’s,afterworkingcloselywithTaiChimasters,developedthisnewrunningtechnique. Heputwhathehadlearnedontopaperwhenheco-wroteChiRunning(2004)withhiswifeKatherineDreyer. Designedtoincreaserunningefficiencywhiledecreasingtheriskofinjury,chirunningissaidtopromoteamorenaturalrunningtechniquethatworkswith,ratherthanagainst,thelawsofphysics,biomechanics,andnature. Inthisarticlewearegoingtocover; The5keyelementsofchirunning. 4benefitsofthisrunningstyle. Andwhetherthetechniqueisbackedbyscience. Ready? Letsgo! the5elementsofchirunning Thisrunningstyleincorporatestheentirebody,andcallsforittobesynchronisedinoneefficientrunningmovement. Centraltothistechniqueisawareness.Therunnershouldbemindfultobeincorporatingall5oftheseelementsintotheirrunningtechnique. #1:RunTall Havinggoodpostureisacentralfacettochirunning. Thismeansthatthehead,shoulders,hips,andfeetshouldbestackedinastraightline. Ifthefeetstrikethegroundtoofaroutinfrontofthebody,theybreakoutofthatstraightline,andessentiallyactasbrakes. DannyDreyerlikensstandardnon-chirunningtodrivingwithonefoodpushingdownontheaccelerator,andtheotherpressingonthebreak-itissimplyinefficient. #2:LeanForward Thesecondelementofchirunningistoleanforwardasyourun. However,whenmostrunnersleanforwardtheytendtodosofromthewaist.Insteadofhingeingfromthewaist,theforwardleanshouldcomefromtheankles. Thisforwardleanmeansthattherunneris‘fallingforward’astheyrun.Thissupposedlyreducedtheenergyrequiredtorun,andmakeschirunningmoreefficient. #3:LandOnTheMid-Foot Landingonthemid-footavoidstherunnerheelstriking. Accordingtochirunning,heelstrikingoccurswhenthefootmakescontactwiththegroundtoofaroutinfrontofthehips. Runningwithaheelstrikeresultsinabreakingeffectwhichsupposedlyincreasestheimpactthroughthejointsandmusclesandincreasestheriskoftherunnergettinginjured. Ontheotherhand,runningwithamid-footlandingstylereducestheimpactand‘takesthebreaksoff’.Thismeansthattherunnerisabletorunmoresmoothlyandtheyhaveabetterrunningeconomy. Thissupposedlyallowstherunnertohitfasterspeedswhilstusinguplessenergytodoso. Related:CanTheWimHofMethodMakeYouABetterRunner?+7StepGuide #4:RunFromYourCore Chirunningrequiresyoutorunwithalevelpelvisasopposedtoapelviswithaforwardtilt,whichissupposedlythestandardinregularrunning. Keepingthepelvislevelrequirescoreengagementaswellasanawarenessofthealignmentofthepelvis. Inordertoachievealevelpelvis,chirunnersvisualiseleaningagainstawallandflatteningtheirlowerbackagainstit. Thisneutrallytiltedpelvisismeanttocreateashorterstride,thusafasterrunningcadence,anditisalsosaidtopreventover-stridingandheelstriking. #5:Relax Thisrunningphilosophygoesagainstthegrainofwhatmostofuswouldconsiderthewaytorunfaster. Usually,ifyouwanttorunfaster,youtryharder. However,tryingharderincreasestheamountoftensioninthearms,shoulders,neck,andback.Theideaisthatthisactuallyrequiresalotofeffortandmayactuallyresultinthewasteofpreciousenergythatcouldinsteadgotowardsrunning. Inchirunning,theideaisthatyouincreaseyourspeedbykeepingyourbodyrelaxed. Thisactuallysavesyouenergyandpreventsyoufromworkingagainstyourself. Notoriously,marathonrunnerDesireeLinden’srunningmantrais“Calm,calm,calm. Relax, relax, relax.”Maybeshe’sachirunner? 4benefitsofchirunning AccordingtoDannyDreyer,therearenumerousbenefitstochirunning. Hereare4: #1:ItReducesYourRiskOfInjury Ifyou’rearunner,youknowthatgettinginjuredisnevertoofaraway.However,thisstyleofrunningclaimstomitigateyourriskofinjurybyalongshot. Theneutralrunningformwhichiscreatedbytheforwardlean,mid-footstrike,neutralpelvis,andrelaxedbody,meansthatarunner’sriskofinjuryisreduced. Theideaisthatadoptingthistechniquemeansthatthereisareducedimpactonyourjoints. #2:ItIsNatural AccordingtoDannyDreyer,chirunninginnothingnew.Infact,childrentendtonaturallyrunaccordingtochirunning’sprinciples. Runningbarefootalsotendstoencouragepeopletorunthisway.Whenpeoplerunbarefoottheresultisgenerallyareducedheelstrike,lighterfootfalls,andamoreefficientrunningstyle. #3:ItImprovesYourPosture Therunningstylefocusesonposturewithanemphasisoncorestrength. Nowadays,manyofusspendinordinateamountsoftimesatdownworkingawayinfrontofascreen.Itisnosecretthatthisdoesnothingtobenefitourposture. Chirunning’sfocusoncorestabilityandproperposturemakesthisrunningstyleahelpfulcounterbalancetoasedentarylife. DannyDreyerclaimsthatthisrunningstylecancounteractseriousbackandcoreproblemssuchashyperkyphosis,hyperlordosis,tighthipflexors,andweakcoremuscles. Theideaisthatthroughchirunning,youwillimproveyourpostureandthusreduceneckandbackpain. #4:ItMakesYouFaster Theideathatyourbiomechanicsaren’tworkingagainstyouwhenyouadoptthistechniquemeansthatyourenergyisbeingusedefficiently. Withallofyourenergyinputgoingintomovingyouforward,youwillinevitablybeabletomovefasterwithoutputtinginanymoreeffort. ChiWalkingandChiLiving It’snotjustrunning! DannyandKatherine’schitheoryhasbeenappliedtowalking,andmoregenerally,living. ChiWalking Muchlikechirunning,chiwalkingharnessesthepowerofTaiChi,butthistime,forwalking. Itpromotescoreengagement,balance,andforward,efficientmovement. Publicserviceannouncementtoallrunners:Run/walkingisaperfectlyvalid,andoftenevenadvisedrunningtechnique.Itcantakeyoualotfurtherthenyouwouldthink! Considerapplyingthechiwalkingtechniquenexttimeyouheadoutforarun/walk. Checkoutthisarticle:RunWalkMarathonTrainingGuide:JeffGallowayMethodExplained ChiLiving Chilivingappliestheideaofbeingmindfulandlisteningtoyourbodyinthesamewaythatchiwalkingandrunningdo. Howeverwhenitcomestochiliving,thisfocusedattentionisdirectedmainlytowardsfood. It’saboutbeingawareofyourcravings,eatingwhenyouarehungry,stoppingwhenyouarefull,andenjoyingandappreciatingthefoodyouhave. Butmostofall,chilivingisaboutcuttingthroughthedistractionsandnoiseofmodernlife,andturningyourattentiontotuneintohowyoufeel. ischirunningsciencebacked? Themajorityofthebeneficialclaimsofchirunningareanecdotal.Theyeithercomefromanecdotalreviewsontheinternet,fromDannyDreyerhimself,orfromcompanieswithavestedinterestinchirunning. However,thereareacoupleofindependentstudiesonchirunning.Let’sexplorethem. InonestudypublishedintheJournalofOrthopaedic&SportsPhysicalTherapy,researchersreportedthatwhilechirunningdoesactuallydecreasetheloadontheboththekneesandhips,itincreasestheloadontheankle Thisfindingcouldsuggestgoodnewsforthosesufferingwithkneeorhippain,butbewaryyouanklepainsufferers! Anotherstudy,publishedinTheJournalofStrengthandConditioning,foundthatwhilstchirunningdidactuallyreduceimpact,itdidnotaffectrunningeconomy,meaningthattheyconcludedthatthistechniquedoesnotmakeyouanyfaster. Butdon’tletthatdisheartenyou!Therehasn’tbeenenoughresearchinthisfieldtomakeanyconclusiveclaims. Maybetryitoutforyourselfanddrawyourownconclusions… Getthebook! Theoriginalchirunningbible! Thisbook,spellsoutsomuchinformation.From10lessons,4chiskills,3developmentalstages,formfocuses,pluspreandpostrunmindsets. Itistheperfectintroductionforthoseinterestedinchirunning,anditwillgiveyouallthetoolsyouneedtobeginyourownchirunningjourney. notareader? Checkoutthispodcast/video! ItwilltalkyouthroughallofthemainprinciplesthattheChiRunningbookdoesinjustoveranhour. MariaAndrewsMariaAndrewsisarunner,adventurelover,andUESCAcertifiedUltramarathonCoach.Whenshe'snotrunningaroundthewoodsorplottingadventures,she'sspendingtimewithhernearestanddearest,cookingupastorm,orworkingonMarathonHandbook'ssisterwebsite,yogajala.com🙂 TakeYourRunningFurtherWithOurResources... 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