No Equipment Exercises To Keep You Running Injury Free
I have really been struggling to post lately. In a time of global pandemic when there are so many bigger problems going on I haven't really justified why my input on anything could be valid in a time like this. I have a sea of draft blog posts that I haven't been able to bring myself to post but I think I finally decided on a topic that could be useful to anyone out there who is looking to keep running during this time to keep their sanity. All of these are exercises you can do without any equipment and in any amount of space you have available. So now that your races are cancelled and you can back off on training...DO YOUR PREHAB!!!
Here is a video to my hip and glute routine. Start with about 20 seconds per exercise and increase the time to increase the difficulty as the exercises get easier. These movements are great because they target all the glute muscles and incorporate multiple planes of movement. If you have access to some bands then add in some lying hip adductors and clam shells at the end.
Hips and Glutes
Let's start with the hip and glute area. Have you ever seen someone running and it looks like their knees are knocking together? It's all in the gluteus minimus! Strengthening all of these muscles allows for a generation of power along with preventing the hips from collapsing and causing knees from rolling inward placing extra strain on your joints. They have shoes designed for pronators and supinators but instead of masking the problem with a shoe I say go right for the source and strengthen those muscles!
Core
We all know core work is important. A strong core helps you maintain form and efficiency. Here is a video of a plank routine I like to incorporate. I like to set an interval timer on my phone with about 3-5 seconds rest in between each exercise so I don't have to keep looking at my watch. Start with about 20 seconds each exercise and increase time to increase the difficulty. For an added challenge find something (like a big sturdy book or two) to elevate your feet about 4-6 inches.
Feet and Ankles
How often do you focus on strengthening your feet and ankles? Now think about how important your feet are to running! Your big toe is the last thing to push you forward off the ground, if you have a weak big toe think about all of the energy you are losing...especially in something as long as a marathon! Stop neglecting your feet and ankles, here is a video for you to get started in strengthening all the little muscles surrounding your foot and ankle.
Lower Body
Hamstrings, quads, calves (don't forget the soleus!) and all of those little muscles in-between. You better believe those are important for running. Incorporate movements in multiple planes of motion to maximize the benefits of lunges, squats, etc. Start with 3 sets of 8 and increase reps or add weight to increase the level of difficulty on these exercises. Use a step, bench or other elevated surface for single leg squats. Any amount of space should be enough for these curtsy squats. Grab a towel and a slippery surface (linoleum floor) for sliding side squats. For exercises out in my driveway I like to incorporate about 10 meters of regular walking lunges, pogos (feet together and jump straight up focusing on height and not speed) and bounding jumps (feet together, jump and aim for a soft landing). Try just 10 meters of each 2 or 3 times. Increase distance or number of sets to increase difficulty.
How Do I Incorporate These Exercises?
Pick 2 or 3 days a week and dedicate one day to core and hips, another day to feet and ankles and a third day to lower body. On your lower body day pick 3 or 4 exercises to incorporate. These really only take 10-15 minutes and you can do pretty much all of these outside so once you finish up your run just sit on the ground or go in your driveway to do a round of these exercises. Prehab is boring but SO important. We don't quite realize what we should be doing until it's too late so there's no better time to get started than right now.
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