10 Workouts for Runners to Build Strength and Avoid Injury
Standing leg curls
Lay on your back and position your heels on the seat of a chair
Remember to brace your core by engaging your abdomen, squeezing your glutes and avoid letting your back arch
Bridge (lift) your pelvis upward to form a straight line with your torso, making sure to keep your heels planted in the chair
Hold for a couple of seconds and lower your pelvis down to the ground
For increased difficulty, raise one leg in the air before bridging your pelvis
This can also be done using an exercise ball
From standing, begin to balance on one leg, making sure to root your foot evenly through your ball of the foot and heel
Begin to swing your other leg backwards, making sure that your hips stay straight
As your leg goes back, begin to lower your torso and slightly bend your knee
Once your torso is roughly parallel to the floor, reverse the motion to stand straight
For increased difficulty, add weight with dumbbells or a kettlebell
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, core
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, lower back, glutes, calves, piriformis
Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core, piriformis
Lay on your back with both knees bent
Cross one leg over the other
Wrap your hands behind the thigh of your still-relaxed leg and gently pull your leg toward your chest
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds before resting
Muscles worked: Piriformis
From a high plank position with your arms fully stretched and your feet flexed, begin to pull your right knee in toward your chest
With your right foot, gently rotate it towards your left and rest your foot and ankle below you, making sure to keep your hips square and facing forward
Begin to lower the knee of your right leg
At this point, you can take the stretch further by pointing the toe of your straight leg and lowering it to the floor
Arch your back and keep your torso straight to complete the pose
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds before resting
Optionally, you can bring your torso to the floor in front of you with your hands outstretched
Start with the balls of your feet on a step or a stair
Slowly raise the heels of your foot so that your weight is now on the balls of your feet
Begin to lower your heels, eventually dropping below the level of the step or stair to stretch your heels
1
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, calves, glutes
2
Hamstring chair bridge
3
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
4
Single-leg (pistol) squat
5
Piriformis stretch
6
Pigeon pose
Muscles worked: Piriformis, gluteus medius
7
Calf raises to heel drop
Muscles worked: Calves, heels, tibialis posterior, peroneal muscles
Lying on your belly, place your elbows on the ground
Flex your feet and toes and lift your body off the ground
Your torso and legs should be straight or resemble a “plank” of wood
Remember to brace your core by engaging your abdomen, squeezing your glutes and avoid letting your back arch
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds before resting
8
Plank
Muscles worked: Core
Begin on all fours
Remember to brace your core by engaging your abdomen, squeezing your glutes and avoid letting your back arch
Raise your right arm and left leg, making sure to keep your hips and shoulders straight
Hold the pose for 2-3 seconds and repeat on the opposite side
For added difficulty, use a resistance band or weight
9
Bird dog
Muscles worked: Core, glutes, lower back
Lay down on your back
Remember to brace your core by engaging your abdomen, squeezing your glutes and avoid letting your back arch
Pull your knees up as if you were sitting in a chair and outstretch your arms
Straighten your left leg and pull back your right arm
Bring both back to the original position and repeat on the opposite side
10
Dead bug
Muscles worked: Core, back
Using a resistance band, stand on the band with one foot and wrap it around your other ankle
Holding onto a chair for stability, lift the heel of your strapped leg towards your buttocks
Remember to brace your core by engaging your abdomen, squeezing your glutes and avoid letting your back arch
Keep your knees together and do not let them move forward
Lower your leg back to standing position
For added difficulty, this exercise can be done with a leg curl machine at the gym using more weight
Standing on one leg, lift your other leg out in front of you with your foot flexed
Begin to lower down into a shallow squat, with the option for your hands to extend out in front of you for balance
Push into your heel to come back up
For increased difficulty, begin to squat deeper as the movement becomes easier