Use Equipment to Help Your Running

If you love running but want to improve your performance don’t just focus on the running. It is crucial that you think about adding strength training into your weekly training regime. Here we look at some great exercises for running and the equipment that will help you perform them.

Great Exercises for Running

All the exercises here are about building strength in your legs to help support your running.These exercises do not replace, rather complement your running workouts.

Let’s start with the bodyweight squat.

Bodyweight squats

This exercise is cited by many running coaches as being one of the best exercises you can do to strengthen most of the leg muscles used in running.

To perform this properly stand with your feet hip distance apart, feet forward. Sit back as if you were about to sit in a chair and try to achieve a 90 degree angle in your knees. Glutes, quads and hamstrings will all be feeling it after 8-12 reps!

No equipment necessary!

Single Leg Squats

Once you’ve mastered the above squat try out the single leg squat. Why? Performing this exercise properly will help you to balance and stabilise your pelvis whilst running thus improving and strengthening all aspects of your running gait and stride.

To do properly, balance on one foot and squat down as if you are going to sit down in a chair. Once you have achieved that 90 degree angle get back to standing. Aim for 8-12 reps each leg.

No equipment necessary!

Single Leg Deadlifts

This is one for the glutes, one of the most underused muscles used by most runners but one that can make a powerful difference. Get some free-weights or a barbell and hold in front of you, bend one knee whilst lifting the opposite leg behind you. Then lower the weights until they reach just below your knees. Come back to standing. Do 8-12 reps per leg.

+ Check out our free weights section

Core

Often overlooked by runners as they are focussing on getting the mileage or speed in but it is worth a reminder that a strong core is essential to any runner. It really doesn’t matter what core exercise you choose, but don’t forget the back muscles as well which are just as important.

Some of the best core exercises for runners to perform include simple crunches, reverse crunches, the plank and the bicycle. You may also want to make things harder by doing some of your crunches on a Swiss ball. Destabilising yourself can make your core work harder.

+ Check out our core conditioning section