Physics of Running

You don't have to be an engineer to use physics to evaluate your running ability. Running is a sport of movement. Like every movement, it involves a pendulum, velocity and mass. If you consider that your feet are the mass and your legs the pendulum, then you can understand that you increase your velocity based upon how bent your knees are. But the physics of running includes more than your legs.

  1. Significance

    • The more you swing your arms and bend your knees, the faster you will run. This is simply due to the law of physics that states that the speed of the swing of the pendulum defines speed, not the weight of mass at the bottom of the pendulum. If your legs act as a pendulum, then you need to shorten them to increase speed from walking to running. The only option to shorten your legs is to bend at the knee. Similarly, your arms help you go faster too. If you shorten the pendulum created by your arms by bending your elbows, your arms can pump more quickly moving you into a run.

    Function

    • Another law of physics comes into play when you evaluate body position. This law holds that the amount of energy that you expend is directly proportional to movement. To run more efficiently, you need to minimize the amount that you bounce up and down when running. To do so, you need only lean forward. But you must lean with your entire body, not just from the waist. That is, you lean from the ankles up. If you increase the amount that you are leaning, you will increase your speed.

    Types

    • To make your running easier, employ another law of physics. This old saw holds that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, consider lifting your legs up rather than pushing away with your quads when running. It is much easier to lift your legs and push off with each step. As a result, you will minimize the reaction, or the energy required, by your body to move forward. Your stride will smooth out and you'll also minimize impact on your knees.

    Effects

    • When looking at physics and running, also consider efficiency. Work all of your body to get a good run. Evaluate yourself as you're running. Are your legs bearing the brunt of the work? If so, check in with yourself and see if your arms are fully engaged and if your torso is in good posture. Check your lean. Your body should be working smoothly and efficiently. If it isn't, then the one part that's not isn't simply not doing its job, it's inhibiting the work of another body part.

    Expert Insight

    • Applying the laws of physics to running aids in identifying how efficient you can make your run. It also aids you in evaluating the movement of your body. You can fine tune how your body as a machine of movement can work best to improve your workout.