Why Running Form Starts at the Top of Your Head (Not Your Feet)

And how one simple shift can help you run with less pain and more power

When most people start running, they’re told to focus on things like cadence, footstrike, or stride length. But here’s the thing: all of that happens way downstream from what’s actually driving your movement. If your form isn’t right at the top, your feet are just trying to survive.

Let’s flip the script and talk about how efficient, pain-free running really begins—at the crown of your head—and how something as simple as leveling your pelvis can unlock core strength, relax your ankles, and help you avoid injuries like plantar fasciitis or shin splints.

Whether you're brand new to running or just trying to stay healthy through your training, this might be the missing piece.

“Stand Tall and Fall” – The Posture Cue That Changes Everything

I teach a cue that sounds simple: stand tall and fall. But don’t underestimate it. This is your starting point for clean, efficient movement.

• Stand tall means elongating your spine from the top of your head. Imagine a string pulling you up from the crown—not rigid, not military, just upright and easy. This gets your head over your shoulders, stacks your ribs over your pelvis, and gives your body room to breathe and move.

• Fall means letting gravity help you move forward. Not leaning with your chest, not folding at the waist. You’re simply letting your body tip slightly forward from a tall, aligned position. That fall brings your center of mass just in front of your feet, which allows your stride to happen under you instead of reaching out in front.

If you’ve ever felt like your stride is clunky, or like you’re fighting the ground, this cue can change your whole experience.

Leveling the Pelvis: The Secret to Core Engagement

Once you’re tall and aligned, your pelvis has a shot at finding neutral. And this is big—because a level pelvis is the foundation of everything else.

Here’s what happens when your pelvis is out of alignment:

• Tipped forward (anterior tilt)? Your low back arches, your core disengages, and your hip flexors stay tight. Your glutes and hamstrings have to work twice as hard to compensate—and usually don’t.

• Tucked under (posterior tilt)? You lose hip extension and restrict your stride. You might feel stiff and slow even when you’re working hard.

But when the pelvis is level, everything stacks:

• Your deep core can turn on.

• Your glutes are in a position to do their job.

• Your stride becomes smoother because the system is working together—not compensating.

Think of your pelvis like a bowl of water. If it’s tipping forward or back, things spill and get messy. But when it’s level, the whole system stays balanced.

Core On, Ankles Off (Sort of)

Here’s a fun twist most runners don’t expect: when your core is engaged and your pelvis is stable, your ankles can actually relax.

Without core stability, your lower legs start to grip. Your calves work overtime, your arches get tense, and your ankles stiffen up trying to create control that should’ve come from higher up.

This tension is often at the root of common runner problems like:

• Plantar fasciitis

• Achilles tightness

• Shin splints

But when you’re tall, aligned, pelvis level, and core engaged? You stop overworking your lower legs. Your foot naturally rolls through the stride, and your ankle can chill out at the back of the gait cycle instead of trying to launch you forward with brute force.

So, How Do You Practice This?

Next time you run—especially if you’re doing treadmill work or warming up—try this quick check-in:

1. Stand tall. Let the crown of your head lift. No tension, no stiffness, just easy length.

2. Fall forward. Let your body tip forward from the ankles (not the waist). You’ll feel the moment your feet want to catch you. That’s your sweet spot.

3. Check your pelvis. Are you arching your low back? Tucking your hips under? Find that neutral point where everything feels stacked.

4. Turn on your deep core. Gentle engagement—like a low simmer, not a full brace. Breathe into it.

5. Feel your ankles at the back of the stride. Can you relax them a bit? Let them move freely without forcing it.

These might seem like small tweaks, but they stack fast. What starts as a posture shift becomes a full-body upgrade—less stress on your joints, more access to power, and a smoother stride overall.

Form Is Fluid

Running form isn’t about perfection—it’s about awareness. You don’t have to micromanage every joint. But when you start with alignment from the top down, you give your body the best shot at working the way it was designed to.

And when you do that consistently, injuries become less common. You start running stronger, with less effort, and more joy.

So give it a try: stand tall, fall, and let your body surprise you.