Easy and essential strength exercises for runners

Distance runners are a different breed of athlete and need a dissimilar strength-training program than your standard gym rat. Supplementing running with strengthening exercises will not only aid in injury prevention but will also make you a stronger, faster, and more efficient runner.

Runners should focus on targeting the key muscles that will keep them balanced. These exercises require minimal equipment and can be performed at home.

Our experts came up with a few essential strength exercises for marathon runners. These exercises take no more than 30 minutes to complete and can be done twice a week.

THE PLANK

The Plank focuses on you core

Begin the exercise by propping yourself up on your elbows with your feet slightly apart. Make sure your body is aligned, your abdominal muscles are tight, and shoulders are directly above the elbows and down and back, not hunched up. Essentially your body is forming a bridge or a “plank”. Hold this position for 45 seconds to one minute. As your core gets stronger gradually increase the duration of the position.

Side Planks that work your torso

Plank variations include: side planks to target obliques, single leg planks, spider planks, mountain climber planks, and supine planks.

Repetitions: 3 to 5

Muscles worked: core, lower back, shoulders

RAISED HIP EXTENSION

Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your arms positioned at your side (palms facing down). Position your feet on the bench so that your entire foot is on top of the bench. Your calves should not be on the bench.

Raise your hips off the floor until you feel maximum contraction in your buttocks muscles. Hold the contraction for 1 to 2 seconds before returning to the starting position.

Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, keeping the movement fluent, slow and controlled.

To make it harder, do the exercise with just one leg, holding the other leg in the air above your hips.

Repetitions: 6 to 8

Muscles worked: hamstrings, glutes, core

BACK EXTENSIONS

Use anything to support your mid riff, like a bench or your bed

Lie face down on a stability ball or any padded bench with your feet spread wide for balance. Your elbows should be bent with your hands lightly touching the ground for initial support. Squeeze your glutes (that would be your lower back and butt muscles) and lift your torso up until your body is in a straight line. As you lift your torso, allow your hands to come off the ground, keeping your elbows bent. Extend your arms overhead. Hold for one or two seconds. Release your arms and then your torso back down to the start position. That’s one rep. Aim for 10-12.

You can do the movement on an exercise mat: Raise your thighs and arms off the ground while your torso stays in contact with the ground.

To make it harder, hold light dumbbells.

Repetitions: 10 to 12

Muscles worked: lower back, glutes, middle back, shoulders

SQUATS WITH OVERHEAD PRESS

This exercise is a modification of the standard squat and requires you to work your abs and upper torso as well.

Hold a pair of dumbbells, a kettlebell (or any other weight) with both hands in front of your chest. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Push your hips back, and lower your body into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Press the dumbbell above your head, and as you stand back up, return the kettlebell to the original position.

If you find this difficult do the squat without the overhead raise by just keeping the kettlebell in the centred chest position for the duration of the exercise.

Repetitions: 10 to 12

Muscles worked: glutes, quads, hamstrings, lower back, upper back, shoulders

THE OVERHEAD LUNGE

Hold a pair of dumbbells straight above your shoulders, with your arms straight and elbows locked. Step forward with your left leg, and lower your body until your front knee is bent 90 degrees. Return to the starting position, and repeat with your right leg. That’s one repetition.

Modification: To make it easier, hold dumbbells at shoulder level.

Repetitions: 6 to 8 (each leg)

Muscles worked: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, core

THE LOWER-BODY RUSSIAN TWIST

Lie on your back with your thighs perpendicular to the floor and your knees bent 90 degrees. Without changing the bend in your hips or knees, twist your body, lowering only your legs to the left side of your body while keeping your shoulders in contact with the floor. Lift them back to the starting position, and repeat to the right side of your body. That’s one repetition.

To make it harder, keep your legs straight.

Repetitions: 10 to 12

Muscles worked: core