The Art of Running: Raising Your Performance with the Alexander Technique - Softcover

Although running is becoming one of the most popular sports, learning to run properly can take time, energy and consistency. You need to do it regularly to become good at it and until you have achieved a certain level of competence, it is unlikely that you will enjoy it very much, or for very long. For many runners physical and mental barriers can stop progress. This book's ultimate aim is to help you enjoy to run - to enjoy the feeling of movement, to overcome inertia, to renew yourself and to boost energy as a result. Master the Art of Running is based on the proven principles of the Alexander Technique that encourage good body use and greater awareness of the way your body functions and moves. The technique teaches you how to release tension from your back and neck and how to run without suffering from injuries. The authors' perspective on the sport takes them into areas rarely touched on in conventional manuals. Instead of placing importance on speed, targets and goals it emphasises the importance of the way you run so you can transform your training and performance.

Andrew Shields is a sport, health and fitness writer and editor. He is the author of six books and has twice been runner-up in the British Sports Journalism Awards. A former nationally ranked triple jumper, he is a qualified coach in several sports, including athletics, and recipient of a Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in Coaching from the London Active Partnership. Malcolm Balk has taught sell-out Art of Running workshops for the past 15 years. These have helped thousands of people improve their running technique. They have also taken him around the world including North America, Australia and Europe.