Running Form Drills That Actually Help (Backed by Research)

A few running drills have real evidence behind them: strides, a full arm swing, and light bounding. Most other drills, like high knees or butt kicks, are mostly tradition and warm-up tools, not proven form fixes. Do the few that matter, and do them often, right after an easy run.

The table below shows the drills worth your time, what each one targets, and how to do it.

Drill	What it targets	How to do it
Strides	Leg stiffness and neuromuscular speed	4 to 6 reps of 20 to 30 seconds, near top speed but relaxed
Arm swing cue	Running economy and balance	Run relaxed, swing arms fully front to back, not across the body
Light bounding or skips	Tendon stiffness and spring in the stride	2 sets of 20 to 30 meters, light and quick, not maximal
Cadence drill	Step rate and joint loading	30 seconds at 5 to 10 percent above your normal step rate

Do running drills actually improve form?

Yes, but only a few drills have real proof behind them. Most drills, like high knees and butt kicks, come from coaching habit. They warm up your muscles well. But there is little direct proof they fix your form on their own.

The drills with real support target a small list of things. These are arm swing, leg stiffness, and cadence. Studies on trained runners link each one to running economy. Economy is how much energy you burn to hold a pace (Moore, 2016). Fix these, and your drill work has a clear payoff. It is not just busy work.

Does a better arm swing improve running economy?

Yes. A full, natural arm swing links to better economy in trained runners. Your arms are not just along for the ride. They help your balance. They cut twisting through your upper body as you run (Moore, 2016).

When runners hold their arms stiff, or swing them across the body, the legs and hips work harder to stay balanced. That extra work costs fuel. A relaxed swing, moving front to back, lets your arms do their job. It does not add strain elsewhere.

The fix is simple. On an easy run, drop your shoulders. Let your arms swing loose from the shoulder, not the elbow. Keep the swing mostly front to back. Skip the side-to-side motion. Practice this for a minute or two at a time. Do it until it feels natural, not forced.

A tense jaw or hunched shoulders often signal a tense arm swing too. Check in every mile or so, especially late in a long run. Relax your face, drop your shoulders, and let your arms swing loose again. This small, free reset costs nothing and takes only a few seconds to do.

2 to 3x/week

how often research-backed drills should be done for a steady benefit

Do strides improve running economy?

Yes, with real but small gains. Strides are short, fast, relaxed bursts. They usually last 20 to 30 seconds. One study had trained runners add one sprint session a week. They did this for 12 weeks. Leg stiffness rose by about 11 to 16 percent (Thibault et al., 2025).

Leg stiffness matters. A stiffer leg acts more like a spring. It stores energy on landing. It gives more of that energy back on push-off. That means less wasted motion with every step. Economy also trended better in this study. But that specific change did not reach a firm statistical mark on its own. The leg stiffness gain was the clearer win.

To add strides, run 4 to 6 reps near the end of an easy run. Each rep should last 20 to 30 seconds. Build to a quick, relaxed pace. Do not go all-out. Walk or jog easy between reps. Twice a week is enough for most runners.

Think of strides as a skill practice, not a workout. You are not trying to get tired. You are teaching your legs to move fast and clean while the rest of your body stays calm. Runners often notice their easy runs feel smoother within a few weeks of adding strides to their weekly routine.

Does bounding or skipping help my stride?

Yes, in a way much like strides. Light bounding and skipping load your tendons fast and briefly. This trains the same spring-like tendon stiffness that heavy lifting and strides also build.

These drills work best in small doses. Two sets of 20 to 30 meters, done lightly, is plenty. Aim for quick ground contact and a springy feel. Do not chase max height or distance. Too much bounding, too soon, can leave your calves and Achilles sore. Add it slowly, the same way you would add new strength work.

Start with skips before bounds. Skipping is gentler on the tendons and easier to control. Once skips feel easy and pain free, add a light bounding drill. Grass or a soft track surface is a safer place to start than pavement. Our guide to strength training for runners shows how to build this kind of work in safely.

What about high knees, butt kicks, and other classic drills?

These classic drills mostly work as a warm-up. They are not a proven fix for your everyday form. High knees, butt kicks, and similar moves raise your heart rate. They wake up your muscles before a hard run. That is a real, useful job. It is just a different job than fixing how you run.

One study on a full warm-up routine, using drills like these, found a short-term boost in sprint and jump power right after, compared to no warm-up at all. But that boost is about being ready to perform that day. It is not the same as a lasting change to your form. Use these drills to feel loose before a fast session or a race. Do not lean on them as your main, long-term form fix.

How do cadence drills fit in with form work?

Cadence drills are a small, specific tool. They are not a full form fix. A cadence drill means running a short burst at a slightly higher step rate. Aim for 5 to 10 percent above your usual rate. Research shows this small rise can clearly lower the load on your knees and hips (Heiderscheit et al., 2011).

This drill mostly protects your joints. It does not directly raise your economy by much. Think of it as insurance for your knees, not a speed trick. For the full picture on cadence, and why "180" is not a fixed target, see our guide to running cadence.

How often should I do form drills?

Two to three short sessions a week works well for most runners. Do them right after an easy run. Your muscles are already warm at that point. That lowers your injury risk during faster drill work. Tired legs, at the end of a hard workout, are not the time to learn a new pattern.

Keep total drill time short, around 10 to 15 minutes. Steady habit beats any single big session. Small, repeated practice adds up to a real, lasting change in your form. For the bigger picture on what moves your economy, from drills to strength to mileage, see our guide on how to improve running economy.

Pick a fixed day, like Tuesday and Friday, right after your easy run. A fixed spot in your week makes drills much easier to keep up than a vague plan to "do them sometime." Habits that live on the calendar tend to survive busy weeks. Habits that do not tend to fade after a month.

How does PIRX see your drill work?

PIRX reflects the payoff from drills and form work inside your Running Economy driver, one of the five drivers behind your Projected Time. Running Economy captures how efficiently you use energy at your training paces, whether that efficiency comes from strides, arm swing, strength work, or just years of steady running.

A generic watch cannot see any of this. It cannot tell whether your drill habit is paying off or just adding extra fatigue to your week.

PIRX is a proprietary machine-learning prediction engine. It learns your training patterns and shows exactly where your seconds come from, across all five drivers: Aerobic Base, Threshold Density, Speed Exposure, Load Consistency, and Running Economy. As running scientists have noted, small, well-chosen technique changes can add up to real seconds over a full race. PIRX is built to show you those seconds directly, not leave you guessing.

98%

validated prediction accuracy (PIRX users)

Turn small form fixes into real seconds

Stop guessing which drills are worth your time. Don't rely on generic watch algorithms that treat every runner the same. Connect your Garmin, COROS, or Strava to PIRX in under 30 seconds. See your Running Economy score next to your other four drivers, and watch your Projected Time move as your form work pays off.

Sources

• Moore, I.S. (2016). Is there an economical running technique? A review of modifiable biomechanical factors affecting running economy. Sports Medicine. (A natural arm swing and lower vertical bounce link to better running economy in trained runners.)
• Thibault, D. et al. (2025). The effects of intermittent sprint training on running economy and leg stiffness in highly trained runners. International Journal of Exercise Science. (One weekly sprint session for 12 weeks raised leg stiffness by 11 to 16 percent.)
• Heiderscheit, B.C., Chumanov, E.S., Michalski, M.P., Wille, C.M. & Ryan, M.B. (2011). Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. (A 5 to 10 percent rise in step rate lowered knee and hip joint loading.)