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Some of the best leg exercises for runners are basic exercises you may already be doing for a lower body workout. You can improve your running performance by increasing your endurance, power, and efficiency through targeted strength training.
As the legs are the primary source of propulsion when you run, it's essential that you work on improving their strength, balance, and form. Although running may look easy, it places significant stress on the muscles and joints, necessitating practiced, precise motion. Hence, it's important to strengthen the legs with appropriate exercises.
Essential Leg Exercises for Runners
Check out the following six essential leg exercises for runners. You can check out these best strength training exercises for runners.
1) Squat
By now you're probably tired of hearing this, but squats are literally one of the most essential leg exercises for runners. Squats build the quads, hamstrings and glutes along with working out the core muscles.
With focus on the quadriceps, you can prevent knee pain and fatigue while running by strengthening the muscles that stabilize and absorb the knees after each landing. Sprinters can gain an advantage from squatting regularly, as it helps them get off to a more powerful start.
Instructions:
- Keep your feet hip-width apart when you're standing.
- Maintain a neutral spine curvature and slight outward pointing of the toes.
- Hold the bar behind your neck and shoulders.
- Keep your back straight, and inhale as you squat down till the thighs are parallel to the floor.
- To get back to the starting position, drive through the heels.
- Focus on performing squats with a heavy weight for 5-7 reps per set.
2) Walking Lunge
Walking lunges are one of the best leg exercises for runners to improve coordination, alignment, and speed, as they mimic the motion of running and teach the body to propel itself forward at a faster clip. When doing walking lunges, the dumbbell is your best friend.
To do a walking lunge, follow these steps:
- Use two dumbbells for the exercise.
- After taking a forward step with your left (or right) leg, bend your knee at 90 degrees, and lower your quadriceps while bringing the other leg down toward the floor.
- To switch legs, simply bring your quads back up, and repeat the process.
- You can increase the volume to ten repetitions on each leg.
3) Calf Raise with Eccentric Drop
Calf raises are one of the essential leg exercises for runners, which help improve strength in the calves. That's important, as the calves, feet and Achilles tendon take an impact while running. If you omit the eccentric drop, this exercise can be done on the floor.
Instructions:
- Stand with your hip-width apart feet on a stop and one hand on a rail.
- Let your heels hang in the air behind you.
- Raise the back of each foot slowly, and hold for a count.
- To perform an eccentric drop, bring your heels down below the body's neutral stance.
- Return to the starting position.
4) Jumping Lunge
This exercise resembles walking lunges but incorporates a jumping transition to ramp up the difficulty.
Master the walking lunge before moving on to the jumping lunge if you're just getting started with lunges. Lunges are one of the best leg exercises for runners, working out the entire lower body and core.
Instructions:
- Keep your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
- Take a big stride forward with your right leg, and squat down, bending the right knee over the right ankle (but not past it) and extending the left arm in front.
- Bring your right thigh down till it's parallel to the floor as you squat.
- Assume the position of a jumper. Jump up, landing on your left foot first. As you switch legs, switch arms too.
- Switch up the sides till the entire set is done.
5) Skater Jump
Skater jumps are one of the best leg exercises for runners that improve leg power, stability, and balance. They also strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, quads.
Instructions:
- Start in a squat position with the hips back and weight distributed evenly across the right foot.
- Use your arms as a springboard, and leap laterally to the left, landing on your left foot.
- It's important to keep your knee over the ankle so that the hamstrings and glutes can take the brunt of the impact when you jump.
6) Wall Sit
This type of supported squat is one of the best leg exercises for runners to strengthen the quads, glutes, and calves.
Instructions:
- Starting with your back against a wall, lower yourself till t hethighs are parallel to the floor, as if you were sitting in a chair.
- Put your hips and knees up against a wall at right angles.
- Stand tall, with the feet hip-width apart, knees directly over the ankles (not higher), and weight distributed evenly between the heels and forefoot.
- Hold for up to 60 seconds, with your back against the wall.
Takeaway
The aforementioned leg exercises for runners are some of the best ones to strengthen the important leg muscles that play a role in running. For more exercises for runners, check out these balance exercises for runners to improve stability.
