Should you bounce up and down when you run? Or should your head be steady?

Question

When you run a 5k race how steady should your head be? Should you bounce up and down or be so steady that you can balance something on your head?

Answer 1

If you are bouncing up and down you are wasting energy. Running is  a pushing motion and the energy you exert in the ground is used to power you forward. If you are going up and down then you are not going forward.

Stand up tall, relax, let your shoulders sag down and swing your arms straight front to back, not across your body.

You are not going to balance anything on your head, but you should be floating forward, in a smooth manner.

Often distance runners will start bouncing when they are tired, practice staying smooth and relaxed.

Answer 2

just keep it straight and relaxed

bouncing doesnt really help but it DOES help to push you forward a bit although it takes more energy

Answer 3

bouncing is wasting energy, you need to try to run as smoothly as possible to be the most efficient. I used to bounce a lot when I ran, but i learned better technique and it takes a lot of practice if you bounce to learn how to not bounce when you run. what helped me was try to drop your hips a little when you run, like you are about to sit down, that helped me get the basic idea and then i developed it from there

Answer 4

Well for the most part straight but that is hard to do. The idea is to focus your energy going in one direction and not to lose any off the the sides or up and down

Answer 5

When you run ur head should be rexlax but balance. If ur head has small bobbles  thats ok. But if its uncontrollable like bobble head doll than thats not good. That actually slows you down.  To fix ur head from moving so much u should pick focus point infront u while u run  not to far, not to close and focus on that spot. And get  ur coach or friends to tell u if ur doing it. it could be a sign of fatigue, needing air, or not focusing depend on how ur head is moving. But try to keep it relax and balanced.

hopefully i helped.