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Changing running form has pitfalls. Nobody really knows what is the perfect running form, your form changes through a single workout according to terrain, speed, fatigue. Some say that your body instinctively finds the most efficient way to move. Minor changes might help such as effective arm swing, decent upright posture (with maybe a slight forward lean) and trying not to hunch are about as far as it easily goes. Changing how the foot lands is asking for injury. Strength building exercises applied to specific muscle groups are a safer option, especially after 50 years old. A lot of what we hear and read about form is an opinion, the best advice is listening to one's own body. After all, when it comes to form or gait you only have to look at the various elite athletes--some have what looks like perfect form but others nod their heads, repeatedly turn around, flail their arms, have a strange leg swing, have arms too high or too low...and still win gold medals!
I agree about not worrying too much about your footstrike. I was always a heel striker, and went through a phase of try to land at least mid-foot if not fore-foot. I got a lot of achilles and calf niggles. What *has* worked, is concentrating on 'cycling' my legs so that I land with my foot under me rather than over-striding. I feel I'm lighter on my feet and probably don't heel-strike as much as I did. No niggles, either.
I agree with Steve and LD. We should not try to change our "natural" running style. One member of our running club went to a running specialist to work on his gait. The outcome was an injury which put him out of running for some time. I can remember many years ago when Ian Botham was a star batsman and bowler. In his early days, they had tried to "correct" the way he held his bat. If he had listened, he probably wouldn't have been so successful.
Ran 8.6 miles on roads this morning. I'm gradually working my way back into road running, after many months of only been able to run off road.
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Menopause and running
Jan 2025