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Form Flaw: Excessive Forward Lean

Running bent over from the waist means that your lower back has to work to hold you up, and your quads have to work extra to keep you from falling forward. So you run less efficiently, you tire more easily, and your legs can become unnecessarily sore.

Too much sitting is usually the culprit here, gradually robbing your lower back of the small curve it used to have. (Look at race photos and you’ll see that almost every runner who leans forward from the waist is in the older age groups.) In addition to sitting so that your lower back is arched, you can fight this problem by strengthening your abs and butt.

: Stacey Cramp