Fitness
10 exercises every runner needs to include in their gym program
Running is good for you, sure. But it can also exacerbate physical niggles for those of us who spend most of our days at a desk. Thankfully, certified personal trainer Ben Longley has a few solutions.
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Running (or jogging) an event like the Wings for Life World Run has amazing physical and mental health benefits, but, like all sports, running does take its toll on your body, as Lucy Charles-Barclay knows.
Charles-Barclay got into triathlon in 2014 after a decade spent swimming at the highest level. It took her less than a year to become a double world champion in the Female 18–24 age group, winning both the Ironman and 70.3 titles, in 2015. In 2021, she was crowned Ironman 70.3 World Champion in St. George, Utah and in 2023, she achieved her career goal in style, winning the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
Charles-Barclay’s success is outstanding, but was never assured: just because she could swim, it didn’t mean she could run. When it comes to building up her winning strength – and preventing injury – these are her go-to exercises. Whatever your level of experience, they’re guaranteed to up your PB game.
Here are a list of 10 exercises every runner and aspiring runner should include in their exercise program to keep the body balanced, strong and stable, and better prepared to tolerate the strains and stresses of a running program.
(There is one caveat here: this is not a tutorial on how to do these exercises properly, which is imperative. Poor form will do more harm than good. Learning from a good coach is recommended!)
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01
Deadlifts
Deadlifting
© David Tittle/Red Bull Content Pool
“A lot of runners suffer from the same postural issues as office workers (rounded shoulders, tight and overactive quads and hip flexors),” says Charles-Barclay. “The deadlift is the perfect antidote as it strengthens all the muscles that run down the back of your body.
This will help with balancing out your strength, maintaining proper posture, and mitigating muscle imbalances and overuse injuries from running.”
02
Squats
Squats target the quads, glutes, hamstrings and lower back
© Jan Kasl
Squats done properly are a great mobility and strength movement all in one, and for this reason they should be a staple in everyone’s fitness program. Great for strengthening quads, glutes, hamstrings and lower back and will go a long way in sparing your joints from the ‘pounding of the pavement’ with the added muscular strength and support.
03
Lunges
Like running, lunges require a great amount of strength and stability
© Dan Sheridan/INPHO
“There is a big functional carryover from lunging to running, with lunges working on very similar physical qualities needed to run well,” Charles-Barclay explains. “A walking lunge is basically slow-motion running through a greater range of motion, requiring extra strength, mobility, and stability. Being able to lunge well with extra weight, with stability and structural integrity through the hips, knees, ankles and feet should be a pre-requisite before doing any sort of consistent running training.”
04
Face pulls
“A staple exercise for anyone who’s trying to fend off rounded shoulders,” says Charles-Barclay. “Face pulls will strengthen all the ‘postural’ muscles in your upper back and shoulders, helping you to adopt a more upright posture when you run.”
05
Monster walks
Do monster walks from side to side until you feel the burn.
© Ben Longley
“Walking with a band around both ankles will have you feeling the burn in your glutes very quickly,” warns Charles-Barclay. “Isolation work for the glutes and hip stabilizers can be a great way to get your glutes firing again, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting. When running, stronger glutes can help support your lower back, knees, ankles and feet.”
06
Farmer's Walks
“Basically walking with moderate-to-heavy weights in each hand,” Charles-Barclay explains. “This very simple (but not easy) exercise has a big carryover to any athletic endeavours. It will help to strengthen and stabilise everything involved in the gait pattern, which means it will help you to get better at running and increase your capacity to work harder, for longer.”
07
Bear Crawls
“The act of crawling helps us maintain and strengthen the ‘wiring’ in our brains and nervous systems needed for efficient movement and running,” says Charles-Barclay. “Getting our knees off the floor takes things to the next level in terms of strength, control and stability requirements, and will have a big carryover to running performance and capacity.”
08
Sled/prowler Push
“This exercise is seriously hard work, challenging the strength and power in your legs – as well as your cardio fitness. If you ever need to run up hills, sled pushes are a great training tool.”
09
Hanging and hanging leg raises
“Literally just hanging from a bar can have loads of physical benefits for a runner, like decompressing and aligning the spine, mobilising and stabilising the shoulders, and strengthening our arms and grip,” says Charles-Barclay. “Adding knee or leg raises will make everything harder, and will also help to build abdominal and hip flexor strength.”
10
The World’s Greatest Stretch
“The long lunge position is great for opening up the hip flexors on the rear leg, and a wide stance on the front leg becomes a nice adductor (groin) and glute stretch,” says Charles-Barclay. “From this position, extend and rotate through the thoracic spine (upper back), which is great for helping improve your mobility. This stretch targets the same muscles and fascial lines used when running, so will translate directly into better range of motion when out on the road.”
Why do we care about running? There are of course the mental and physical benefits of putting on a pair of trainers and stretching your legs but the big one is our annual charity run Wings For Life.
The global run looks to raise funds to support spinal cord research with a clever idea to get people up and running (hint: a virtual chase car). Every year millions run for those that can't.
3 min
Best moments from the Wings for Life World Run 2023
Hundreds of thousands people worldwide raced to support cutting-edge spinal cord research. See the highlights.
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