One of the most fundamental movement skills children display after they attain independent walking is the ability to run. Running seems like an instinctive behavior that naturally develops. It is not usually taught or deliberately learnt. The progression from the walking to running movement pattern in children tends to occur naturally with the increase in the walking pace or tempo, increase in stride or step length and improvement with balance. The running pattern automatically emerges with time and repetition.

When running, most children spontaneously display a fairly decent posture and form. The most distinct characteristic is the landing on the mid-section (before the arch towards the toes) of their foot or the ball of their foot as the first point of contact with the ground during the run. This mid-section foot contact with the ground does assist in the prevention of injuries in the joints and muscles. So, the next time you take your child out to the park or track to run, observe his or her running posture and form. Assess if your child's running with the basic check list below:

• A relaxed upright posture
• Head, shoulders, and hips are square forward facing and aligned over the feet
• Looking straight ahead at where he/she is running towards
• Relaxed shoulders, arms, and hands
• Arms are bent at the elbow at about 90 degrees
• Swing arms in a front and back motion from the shoulders
• Land or contact the ground with the mid-section or ball of the foot

Running seems like a simple activity, particularly for children. Most parents do not usually take notice or even think about their children's running mechanics and form. It is important for children to learn the correct running technique and form so that their running efficiency and speeds are not compromised. In addition, it is also ensure that children do not place any undue strain on the joints and muscles of their growing body which can lead to long-term injuries. Hence, it is beneficial for children and even adults to learn the right running technique and form.

Remember, should your child require any correction in their running form, have them practice with the proper form when running over short distances like 20m to 50m or so. The distance is then slowly increased as he/she becomes more comfortable with the new technique and form.

It is very common for children and adults alike to forget about maintaining proper running technique and form when tired during the run. Most individuals will tend to slouch and have their eyes focused on the ground, tense their upper body, restrict their arm movement, and shuffle their feet along the ground. Tell your children that this will actually slow them down even more. Hence, no matter how tired they are, tell them to focus on your running form for a faster finish faster with less agony and pain.

Below is week 2 to our 6 weeks training programme for parents to help assist their children in their training for the Cold Storage Kids Run on 22nd May 2011. Week 2 focuses on introducing children to the proper running posture and form. Parents are advised to incorporate last week's training with this week's. It is also recommended that parent and child exercises at least 2 to 3 times during the week. Do seek your doctor's approval for you and your child before you commence any exercise programme.

2 to 4 years (800m)

• Go to a park or track near your home with your child
• Mark out a 20 meters distance
• Have your child run the 20 meters and asses his/her running form based on the checklist above
• Take note of the areas to improve and work on correcting those areas
• Perform about 6 repetitions of 20m runs
• Each time focusing on the arm swing, upright posture, taking faster steps and maintaining balance
• Proceed with Week 1's training, increasing the running time
• Do stretch well with your child after the exercise session

5 to 6 years (800m)

• Go to a park or running track near your home with your child
• Mark out a 20 meters distance and a 50 meters distance
• Have your child run the 50 meters and asses his/her running form based on the checklist above
• Take note of the areas to improve and work on correcting those areas
• Have your child march the 20m distance. Lift knees to hip level with thighs parallel to the ground. Repeat 3 to 4 times
• Then have your child stand at the start of the 20m distance and swing his/her arms in a forwards and backwards manner (bent 90 degrees at the elbow) on the spot for 10 seconds. Keep an upright posture at all times. Repeat 3 to 4 times
• Have your child combine the arm swing, high knee and maintaining an upright posture as he/she runs the 50m distance. Repeat about 4 to 6 repetitions
• Proceed with Week 1's training, increasing the running time
• Do stretch well with your child after the exercise session

7 to 8 years (1.6km)

• Bring your child to a running track near your home
• Mark out a 20 meters distance and a 50 meters distance
• Have your child run the 50 meters and asses his/her running form based on the checklist above
• Take note of the areas to improve and work on correcting those areas
• Have your child stand at the start of the 20m distance and swing his/her arms in a forwards and backwards manner (bent 90 degrees at the elbow) on the spot for 15 seconds. Keeping an upright posture at all times. Repeat 3 to 4 times
• Have your child swing their arms and lift their feet from the ground like running on the spot as fast they can for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 to 4 times
• Now lift knees (alternating) up to hip level with thigh parallel to the ground and swing arms for 20m going as fast as he/she can. Keeping an upright posture throughout the distance. Repeat about 4 to 6 repetitions
• For the same 20m distance, have your child gently 'kick' their bottom with their heels while maintaining an upright posture and the arm swing. Repeat 4 to 6 times.
• Have your child combine the arm swing, high knee and butt kick while maintaining an upright posture as he/she runs the 50m distance. Repeat about 4 to 6 repetitions
• Proceed with Week 1's training, increasing the running distance or number of laps.
• Do stretch well with your child after the exercise session

9 to 12 years (1.6km)

• Bring your child to a running track near your home
• Mark out a 20 meters distance and a 50 meters distance
• Have your child run the 50 meters and asses his/her running form based on the checklist above
• Take note of the areas to improve and work on correcting those areas
• Have your child stand at the start of the 20m distance and swing his/her arms in a forwards and backwards manner (bent 90 degrees at the elbow) on the spot for 15 seconds. Keeping an upright posture at all times. Repeat 3 to 4 times
• Have your child swing their arms and lift their feet from the ground like running on the spot as fast they can for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 to 4 times
• Now lift knees (alternating) up to hip level with thigh parallel to the ground and swing arms for 20m going as fast as he/she can. Keeping an upright posture throughout the distance. Repeat about 4 to 6 repetitions
• For the same 20m distance, have your child gently ‘kick' their bottom with their heels while maintaining an upright posture and the arm swing. Repeat 4 to 6 times.
• Have your child combine the arm swing, high knee and butt kick while maintaining an upright posture as he/she runs the 50m distance. Repeat about 4 to 6 repetitions
• Proceed with Week 1's training, increasing the number of laps to 3 for each set.
• Do stretch well with your child after the exercise session

Adults

• Parents are encouraged to do the exercises to improve on running form as stated above for the 7 to 12 year olds
• Run like a child and you will probably be running correctly
• Do seek your doctor's approval if you have not engaged in any form of physical activity in recent years before you commence on any exercise routine
• Proceed with Week 1's training, focus on increasing your continuous jogging duration by 30 seconds to two minutes
• Continue with your three times a week exercise routine of about 20-30 minutes each time
• Do stretch well after each exercise session

Trust that you are making great training progress. Have fun!

Stay Active and Healthy!

Dr Tan Swee Kheng, PhD
Kinesiologist, Movement Specialist

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