Running

Last Sunday I took the little ones to cheer their dadda towards the finish line in the Melbourne Marathon.
We were surrounded by lots of people who were running or supporters of running - and it was fantastic to be right in the thick of it at the MCG. People of all ages, shapes and sizes were involved in running various distances - all having a go and challenging themselves to just complete the distance or better their best times.

It was very inspiring. ".....Wow mumma...lots of people like to run!...."

While we were looking out for dadda to enter the stadium, we obeserved with great interest the running styles on display. It is not surprising that the early finishers in the Marathon had very efficient running styles - even right at the end when their energy levels were depleted.

Not everyone will aspire to be marathoners, but everyone should be able to experience the simple pure joy of running - and being able to run efficiently adds to that enjoyment whether by reducing injuries and/or running longer distances or shorter times.

Unlike walking, developing an efficient running style is no accident.

Look for and encourage the following in Preschoolers:
1. Eyes focused forward and head is steady
2. Elbows and knees are close to right angles
3. Arms swinging forward and backwards in opposition and parallel
4. High knee lifts at each running step
5. Soft shoulders

Well done, dadda!