Feldenkrais for
Runners

HOW?

• One-to-one hands-on sessions to address injuries and specific issues in depth

• Indoor floor work (individuals, pairs, groups) using ‘Awareness through Movement’ lessons to explore fundamental movement patterns for running

• Outdoor sessions to apply learning on the run.

• Combined indoor and outdoor sessions for individuals, pairs or groups.

Has a trainer ever asked you to stop doing something you can’t even feel you are doing? Look around at your running mates – each has their own distinctive style: unique like their handwriting. But these ‘habits’ we have are often so deep we aren’t aware of them. Some may create the natural running style of an Olympian, but some may mean you put strain on joints, have ‘heavy’ legs, restrict your breathing, have to work harder than you need.

The Feldenkrais Method® is not a running technique as such, but enables you to work with your underlying patterns and habits. It will help you become more aware of how you run and to learn how to use the whole of yourself better when you run, with less effort (so you can run longer), less chance of injury – and faster as well.

Barefoot or Minimal Shoe Running

Barefoot running is not for everyone. But the techniques of barefoot running can be helpful to all – with or without shoes. Because the Feldenkrais Method is about finding (or re-finding) organic movement patterns that are efficient and easy, you can use Feldenkrais lessons to help you transition to minimal shoes if you wish, or simply find an easier form of running in your favourite shoes.

I choose to run exclusively in Vibram 5 Fingers – or bare feet (on a sunny day on familiar ground!) but that’s just my favourite thing to do. I don’t expect everyone else to!

“I think Feldenkrais has helped by improving my form and loosening up particularly my back and lower body. After some of the lessons I have had my best runs depending what we have done. I notice a big difference between a run after a (for me) particularly useful lesson and after not having done any (feldenkrais) for a while. I am getting faster and I am mainly putting it down to Feldenkrais as I have been running for about a year now and haven’t improved at this level before.” Silke B