Active Arm-Swing While Running Reduces Torso Rotation and Stabilizes Movement — Why Full-Body Coordination Matters

A 2025 study demonstrates that deliberately using your arms during running doesn’t just look like better form — it significantly reduces rotational stress on the torso, improves biomechanical efficiency, and lowers risk of compensatory load further down the chain. This supports our whole-body movement philosophy at Functional Patterns: correcting gait and movement coordination isn’t optional — it’s foundational. PMC

What the research shows:

• The study titled “Active Arm Swing During Running Improves Rotational Stability and Economy” found that runners who consciously engaged their arms in proper swing patterns had reduced torso angular motion around the spine’s longitudinal axis — meaning less torsional stress traveling through hips, pelvis, and spine. PMC

• This reduction in torso rotation improves overall movement efficiency and energy use, which can translate into less wear-and-tear on joints, lower compensatory strain, and improved posture & gait symmetry over time. PMC

• Importantly, the findings support a full-body, integrated movement approach: instead of isolating muscles or focusing only on limbs, coordinating arm-leg-torso patterns can have a major influence on spinal and lower-body load distribution.

Why this matters — and how it supports our method:

• Many rehab or training protocols overlook the role of arm swing and upper-body coordination when treating lower-body issues. This research shows that neglecting upper-body movement can perpetuate torsional and alignment stress.

• Clients with recurring hip, pelvis, spine or gait-related pain may benefit greatly from retraining not just lower-body mechanics but full-body coordination, including arm swing — a core principle in our posture + gait assessments.

• Because efficient movement reduces unnecessary load and compensations, this approach can help prevent recurring injuries and support long-term structural integrity — rather than short-term fixes.

If you’re training, rehabbing, or simply want to move better and prevent strain — consider a full posture & gait assessment (in-person or online). Restore coordination in your whole body, not just isolated joints or muscles.

Research link
Active Arm Swing During Running Improves Rotational Stability and Economy — PDF available via PubMed Central.