Get fit, stay strong: focus on the future

Best strength exercises for runners

One of the most overlooked running fitness tips is improving your strength. It is true that running is about endurance and stamina, but there are also other important factors. As you get stronger you will find that it is easier to carry your body weight you longer distances. This will make you more efficient and reduce fatigue while you run. So, if you are looking for running fitness tips, it is useful to incorporate some strength training into your rest days. Strength exercises for runners can come in many forms.

Some good strength exercises for runners include:

Plank – this will improve your upper body strength, specifically your shoulders, chest and back.
Squats – squats with or without weights are a great way to strengthen your lower body. This will improve strength in your glutes and quads making you more explosive when you run.
Bicycle crush – this strength exercise for runners will work your abdominal muscles. Improving your core strength can help with balance and form when you’re running.

Learn a new skill

Again, this is where the experts at England Athletics come into their own. There’s an amazing amount of information that’s free to access from drills to core strength and much more. We regularly post running fitness tips and general advice on our website, so be sure to use this to your advantage! Take this time to learn all about what exercises you can do at home benefit you the most. This should enable you to still use the muscles you would normally use in running but within a smaller area.

Focus on the future

“People shouldn’t feel like they’re failing,” says Dr. Perry. “It’s important that we’re kind to ourselves. We don’t want anyone to feel like they’ve failed in lockdown or in isolation. If they’re deconditioned and they haven’t used the time productively, it’s not the end of the world, but if you have some time on your hands, then why not use it well?”

Get started today!

If you would like to join a local running group, make sure you check our running groups near you page. For more information on other exercises and general running tips, visit our tips and advice page. It’s never too late to get started with running, and perhaps today is the day!