December 20, 2022

ChiRunning: What It Is and How to Do It EP 33

47 minutes

One of the most effective tools to age better is to move more.

In this episode of GRUFFtalk, host Barbara Hannah Grufferman talks with Danny Dreyer, the founder of ChiRunning, a unique way of moving, which he believes will help you keep moving for the rest of your life.

Danny Dreyer is the founder of ChiRunning, an approach to running technique based on the movement principles of T'ai Chi. He and his wife, Katherine, have authored three seminal books on mindful movement: ChiRunning (2004), ChiWalking (2006) and ChiMarathon (2012) (all published by Simon & Schuster). The ChiRunning book is now printed in 15 languages and taught by over 200 certified instructors in 23 countries.

For over 20 years he has been teaching and promoting injury prevention and higher performance through improving one's running economy. His work is based on his 25-year study of T'ai Chi and 50 years of running and racing every distance from a 5K to 100 miles, including 43 ultra marathons. At age 73 he has now run over 100,000 miles and is still running half marathons. His last running injury was in 1991.

ChiRunning elevates running beyond a sport or a fitness regimen, turning it into a mindful practice (akin to yoga, Pilates or t'ai chi), allowing your whole body (and mind) to participate in the act of running. In fact, Dreyer says that the most difficult part of learning to run well is changing your mindset; learning to accomplish more speed or distance with less effort, less recovery and fewer injuries… by focusing your mind, relaxing your body and doing less.

The Basic Focuses of ChiRunning:

Shorter stride

Well-aligned posture

Slight forward fall from the ankles for gravity-assisted propulsion

Picking up the feet instead of pushing off

Steady cadence between 170-180 strides/min. (depending on leg length) for all sub-sprint speeds

Nose-breathing and belly-breathing as much as possible

Mindful approach to running

Deep relaxation in arms and legs

Get more information, including finding a ChiRunning coach in your area, here: www.ChiRunning.com

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Instagram: Barbara Hannah Grufferman