Planning to head out fora run and enjoy the nicer weather?  Lisa McClellan, RRCA Certified Running Coach and blogger at RunWiki, shares her tips for maintaining proper running form, which she says helps you become a more efficient runner while also preventing injury.

Watch Your Heel Strike

Lisa says that heel striking in and of itself isn’t the major problem – it’s the fact that most of the time when you’re heel striking, you’re actually over-striding.  The most commonly suggested foot strike is the midfoot strike, which helps control over-striding.

The Lean

According to Lisa, your hips are the “rockstars of good form”.  When running, you should lead with your hips, but don’t make the mistake of bending at the hips.  Instead, your entire body should have a slight forward lean, keeping your booty tucked in.

Relax Your Upper Body

Your core and upper body support your hips, so they’re important when running, too.  Lisa says to keep your shoulders relaxed and loose, making sure your chin is up and looking forward in order to reduce tension in your upper body and neck.

Strength Train

Lisa’s best advice for runners looking to improve their form is to strength train regularly, especially focusing on hip strength (BBBC Butt-Kicking Extreme Boot Camp and Soho Strength Lab Dumbbell/Kettlebell Power Lab have some great hip strengthening moves!). She says that you can have a beautiful stride but still loose your form when you become fatigued, and that strength training helps prevent this.