What Are the 10 Best Strength Exercises That Could Improve Your Running?

Strength training is undoubtedly the most effective form of exercise for runners. The efficiency brings to your form, posture, endurance, performance is just multi-faceted. Every part of your body right from the legs to the hands and up until the core is worked up to provide better strides, more power, and avoid any potential injury that might accompany running.

So let us explore the 10 best strength training exercises that are crucial to amplifying your running performance. Be sure to do these exercises in multiple sets with ample rest between them. The key here is to perform the exercise in the most refined form and posture rather than completing it in a haste. It would be helpful if you perform them in front of a mirror where you can monitor your form and adjust accordingly for better results.

1. Press-ups

This exercise will strengthen your chest, shoulders, and arms which will improve your arm stride that is significant for the run.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 10 reps

How to do: 

• Lay face down on your chest and place your hand on either side of your chest.
•  Tuck your toes under.
•  Press down to your hands and then power up off the floor. Remember to not stretch out your neck.
•  Once the upper body is all stretched and straight, lower down back to the floor and repeat to complete the circuit.

2. Squats

This exercise strengthens multiple muscle groups which are used while running and hence aid in injury prevention and furthering the flexibility of the body.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 12 reps

How to do:

•  Stand straight by keeping your legs with hip-width apart maintaining the toes facing forwards.
•  Lower your body down imitating the idea of sitting on a chair. Make sure to not lean forward or backward throughout the movement. 

3. Leg raises

This exercise helps in opening the hip flexor which is responsible for a good knee lift that works up during your run. It is also a great workout for the lower abdominal muscle groups and helps stabilize the core.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 10 repetitions

How to do:

•  Lie down on your back placing your hands on either side.
•  Lift both the legs up to a vertical incline as is physically possible for you.
•  Bring them back by lowering them without touching back the ground, repeat the movement.
•  If you feel that lifting both the legs together is hard, you could try the movement with just one leg at a time. 

4. Glute Bridges

This exercise helps in stabilizing the pelvis keeping the alignment stable while running. The form while running will aid in efficiency by working through glutes, pelvis, and torso’s right activation. 

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 15 reps

How to do:

•  Lie on your back with placing your hands on either side.
•  Lift your hips to the level where it makes a straight line with knees and hips.
•  Make sure to keep your shoulders touching down to protect your neck.
•  Hold the position for two minutes and then release it back to the floor. Repeat the movement.
•  A more challenging version is to outstretch your hands forward while the movement without lifting the shoulders for the floor.

5. Back extension

This exercise helps in improving the running posture by working on the upper body muscles and back. It is important to improve the running efficiency.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 10 repetitions

How to do it:

•  Lay down with your face down placing hands by the ears.
•  Lift your chest from the floor by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Make sure to not put a strain on your neck while doing the movement.
•  After the stretch, lower yourself to the former position and repeat.

6. Lunges

This exercise helps in improving the single-leg balance that aids in stability and coordination while running. Also helps in the placement of the right strides while running to improve your speed and power.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 8 repetitions on each side

How to do:

•  Stand tall by keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
•  Take a big stride forward with one leg and lower the body to the knee level with the back leg support.
•  Align your knee along with the ankle and upright the body.
•  Put pressure on the rear leg while retrieving back from the movement and continue the movement with the other leg. 
•  Adding a dumbbell of a comfortable weight to the movement will make it more challenging.

7. Dead bug toe touch

This exercise is an absolute abdominal crunch that will strengthen the ab core muscles and help in stabilizing your running form for increased efficiency.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 8 repetitions

How to do:

•  Lie down on your back preferably on a mat to protect the neck and back.
•  Lift your legs vertically so that the knees, ankles are in alignment with the hips. Stretch out your hands in a straight line vertically.
•  Lower down your hand along with the opposing leg down to the floor.
•  Once the movement is completed, get back to the starting position to repeat it.
•  Do it on the opposite side accordingly. It is best when done in a slow format.

8. Kettlebell Swings

This exercise helps condition the entire body with emphasis on glutes, quads, and hamstrings even though the hands are the only active body part. It helps in strengthening the lower muscle groups for a better injury-less run.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 10 repetitions

How to do: 

•  Stand with legs hip-width apart and slightly bend.
•  Place a Kettlebell of medium weight between the legs and swing them forward with hip thrust till the chest height and lower it down.

9. Dumbbell Rows

This increases the chest strength along with the upper back muscles.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 12 repetitions

How to do:

•  Place one leg and on a bench, with the opposite hand lift the dumbbell towards you.
•  Be sure to keep the elbow close to the body periphery.

10. Step-ups

This exercise works on all the major muscle groups thus improving runner performance and endurance.

Sets and repetitions: 2 sets, 10 reps

How to do:

• Get a bench or box of optimal height and one that can hold your weight.
• Push single leg on to the top in a straight posture by pressing of the rear leg.
• Stand tall on the box and retreat with a stable posture maintaining alignment of hips,knees.
• You could add more difficulty by lifting dumbbells with the movement.
• The key here is to perform the exercise in the right form, so don’t speed it up until you are comfortable. 

Also Read : Why It’s Important to Warm Up Before Your Run?