Runners, Don’t Just Run: Ways to Improve Strength and Avoid Running Injuries

When it comes to running, each one of us has a different reason why we lace up and go out to pound the pavement. And the time, effort, and money (those running shoes didn’t come cheap!) that we invest in the sport is also different. But there’s something that all of us unfortunately face at some point or the other in our running journeys: injury. Injuries might be inevitable, but there are things we can do to make sure they don’t come often. For instance, don’t just run hard. Run smart. And that includes more than just running.

Getting sidelined with an injury is definitely not on any of our wish list. So here’s what we should do to be strong, smart, and injury-free runners.

Strength training 

There are two tenets of strength training exercises for runners. One is they include compound, multi-joint moves. The second is they prevent/reduce injuries by strengthening (duh!) specific parts of the body, like glute strength, core strength, etc. Some of the best strength exercises for runners include:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Plank
• Deadlifts
• Push-ups

All these exercises are super simple. And there are countless variations that make them more effective (and less boring! Read our article to learn quirky ways to add strength to your everyday routine). However, it is extremely important to ensure proper form to avoid getting injured (yes, the irony isn’t lost on us).

Stretching

Do tight legs and achy joints sound too familiar? And how can you forget that mild but nagging pain on your right thigh, right? The solution to all of these so-called runners’ niggles and injuries is stretching. You might have heard it a million times that you need to stretch before and after a run. And what you’ve heard are not rumours.

While stretching before a run (after a proper warm up, of course) preps your muscles for the run, post-run stretches help the overworked muscles cool down and start the repair and recovery process. These are some stretches you can include in your routine:

• Quad stretch
• Hamstring stretch
• Calf raises and stretch
• Walking lunges (pre-run), static lunges (post-run)
• Hip flexor leg swings (pre-run), hip flexor stretch (post-run)
• So many more that it needs a dedicated article

Yoga

A combination of strengthening, stretching, and relaxation, that’s yoga for runners, in a nutshell. You don’t have to be able to bend like a rubber band to be eligible to do yoga. It’s absolutely okay if you aren’t flexible. Yoga will help you get the flexibility and mobility you need to endure your runs, long or short, fast or slow. It helps balance the imbalances that running creates.

But what are the benefits of yoga for runners, you ask? Increased strength, better breathing, enhanced stability, improved flexibility, less soreness, faster recovery, energised body — long story short. And what’s the side effect of yoga for runners? You might discover muscles that you never knew existed! What are some of the best yoga poses for runners? These:

• Low lunge
• Downward dog
• Reclining pigeon pose
• Reclining cow face pose
• Spinal twist

Want to get faster on your runs with less encounters with common running injuries? Add strength training, stretching, and yoga to your routine. And you never have to step out of your home for any of these, or be worried about getting your form wrong. The army of ImStrong trainers will guide you every step of the way to make you faster and stronger and stronger faster.