Running with shoulders up causes stiff neck
Josh visited a running technique coach who identified that running with shoulders raised to ear level was causing his stiff neck and inefficient gait.
Snapshot · Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe
S12 EP52: I am spent
Explore episode
Jul 3, 2026
Where this was said
Josh's Running Technique Coaching
At 6:59 · chapter starts 6:55
Josh opens his life update with a slightly unexpected confession: he sought out a running technique coach, not to get faster but to avoid injury. The culprit turns out to be his habit of running with shoulders bunched up to his ears — a posture Rob can just about make out on the video call. The fix is disarmingly simple: arms down by the sides, straight back, chin tucked in, and a slight forward lean to find the toes. Josh admits he's also probably getting quicker as a result, though the technique coach's visit was framed entirely in terms of wellness. Rob teases him for being the sort of person who hires a running coach, but there's an edge of genuine curiosity — especially when Josh names the stiff neck as a long-standing complaint. Rob counters that running weirdly might just be someone's personal style, before grudgingly accepting that the neck issue is a real problem.
Running Technique Revelation: Stop Hunching Your Shoulders
Josh visited a running technique coach who identified that running with shoulders raised to ear level was causing his stiff neck. The fix: arms down, straight back, chin in, body tilted forward. Two weeks later he went back to check his progress.
Josh Becomes a Social Animal: Six Events in One Weekend
Josh went to art club, a street craft fair, a neighbourhood Long Table dinner, a children's triathlon, a birthday party, and drinks with neighbours — all in one weekend. He loved all of it, but admitted at the end: 'I am spent.'
6 social engagements in one weekend
Josh attended six separate social events over one weekend after moving to Devon/Exeter, a transformation he himself found surprising.
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