The key to enhancing your running might not be just doing more of it. Instead, incorporating strength and mobility training into your routine could be the secret.
Strength training helps build durable, powerful muscles and stable joints, which translates to better performance, fewer injuries, and improved recovery.
Mobility work, meanwhile, is “going to unlock your body for the work you’re going to be doing, which helps with proper muscle recruitment, range of motion, and all the things that can help lead to injury prevention,” says NASM-certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist Carrie Boyle.
Incorporate these moves recommended by Mike Thomson, CSCS, a USATF-certified running and triathlon coach with Life Time, to help level up your performance.
Mobility
Couch Stretch
Use this stretch to loosen your hip flexors after every run.
Full Instructions
- Kneel on the floor in front of a sturdy structure, like a wall, bench, or, as the name suggests, a couch, facing away. Position your right shin close to the wall or couch with toes pointed toward the ceiling. (Place a mat, towel, or cushion under your right knee, as needed.) Position your left foot flat on the floor in front of you with your left knee directly over your ankle.
- Lift your torso and rest your hands on your left thigh. Lean back until you feel a slight stretch along the front of your right hip and thigh.
- Hold for 10 deep breaths, sinking a little deeper on each exhale. Switch sides.
Strength
Bulgarian Split Squat
Include this exercise in your routine two or three days per week.
Full Instructions
- Stand 2 to 3 feet in front of a knee-high platform (like a box, bench, or step), facing away. Extend your right leg behind you and rest your toes on the bench. Toes can be flat or tucked, depending on personal preference.
- Keeping your torso upright, slowly lower your right knee toward the floor. Your front knee will form approximately a 90-degree angle. (It may go farther, depending on your mobility; just make sure your knee doesn’t cave inward.)
- Distribute your weight evenly across your left foot as you push up to return to the starting position. Squeeze your rear glute at the top of the movement. Do three sets of 12 repetitions per leg.
- Use only your body weight when learning the movement. Then add weight by holding dumbbells or kettlebells at your sides.
More On the Moves
Running relies heavily on the hips — and limited hip mobility can create issues. Tight hip flexors (the muscles in the front of the hip that kick in with each step) tend to be common in runners, thanks to their use in running and sitting.
“If your hip flexor is tight, you’ll have limited ability to extend your hip,” says Mike Thomson, CSCS, a USATF-certified running and triathlon coach with Life Time. If you can’t extend your hip, you won’t be able to recruit as much of your glutes, which means less power with every stride.
Runners can also benefit from strengthening the glutes and legs to provide more stride power and minimize fatigue. This may help you run faster and longer, as well as prevent injury and pain by keeping other muscles and joints (like those in the lower back) from kicking in to compensate. For runners, Thomson favors the Bulgarian split squat, performed with the rear leg elevated, because it both stretches the hip flexor and strengthens the glutes and legs one side at a time.
Level Up
From basketball to Zumba, discover the mobility and strength exercises that can enhance your favorite cardio workout and boost your overall performance. Learn more in “Level Up Your Favorite Cardio With These Strength and Mobility Moves,” from which this article was excerpted.
