For example, an athlete stands at attention on the podium and a soldier doing the same at the sentry point. Both are standing erect but the former is doing so effortlessly and relaxed while the latter’s effort is strained, hard-to-sustain, and very difficult to move immediately.

It was around noon and Fadzlee was in high spirits. All set to cruise down the trail and later join other bikers for lunch at the bottom of the hill, Fadzlee saddled his iron steed. Within a flash he was shooting down the trail with the sure-footedness of a mountain goat, bouncing around the nook and cranny of Bukit Dinding. Having conquered more treacherous trails in his 26 years of mountain biking, he didn’t find this much of a problem, save for some rocky patches near the end of the trail.

But just as he was clearing the rocks, he was thrown off the bike. He didn’t know what struck him or what he had hit. Fadzlee was knocked out for what appeared to be an eternity. When he came to, reality struck a painful blow when he saw what was left of his left leg – twisted, and his foot was in a different position. Panic set in quickly, overcome only by the searing pain he had yet to know. He had taken the tumbles before but not this severe.

“I didn’t remember much of the horror or how I was brought down to the bottom of the trail. All I remembered was the pain that I have never felt before,” he said. “It happened in a flash. All I could think of was that moment could be the end of my biking career.”

hy do you keep the joints in neutrality? It is to create a balanced posture that allows your body to move freely and effortlessly, like a fluid, and in any varied movement pattern.

So how do you keep a good neutral posture while running? Here are some tips to keep in mind the next time you run:

1. Run tall, imagine a straight line forming across the back of head, back of shoulders, hips, knee and ankle.  
2. As your head position follows your gaze, look straight ahead to scan the horizon instead of down at the road.
3. Keep a 90-degree bend on arms with a front-to-back swing, brushing across your lower ribs.
4. Always land your feet under your body, brushing across the ground. Do not reach too far out in front of your body to avoid over-striding.
5. Finally, lighten your steps and run at a relaxed rhythm.

While it’s easy to describe the principles of a good running posture, it’s much harder to practice them without correct feedback or guidance. The concept of neutrality in posture needs to be learnt and adapted outside a running environment before it can contribute to better running economy.