More than half of all athletes who go jogging suffer from running injuries at least once a year. But this need not be the case. In addition to a sensible training plan, strength training, in particular, can protect against running injuries. Here’s what runners should know:
The effort to prevent running injuries is limited
Many runners avoid strength training and prefer to just go running. Yet every runner should do strength training because it protects against common running injuries. The good news is that just 20 minutes three times a week is enough to significantly reduce the risk of injury.
Whole-body exercises are best
Most runners benefit most from whole-body exercises, which work out most of the body’s muscles. Exercising each muscle in isolation is not necessary and is also time-consuming. In addition to the muscles mainly used in the running, you should also train your core muscles regularly. Unfortunately, many runners have too weak core muscles, which increases the risk of running injuries. Therefore, here is a small selection of exercises that are ideally suited for runners:
Squats
If you have no experience with strength training, you should first do squats with your own body weight. Later you can also work with weights:
- Stand a little more than hip-width apart and point your toes slightly outwards.
- Then bend your knees to a 90-degree angle or even a little lower. Hold down briefly and return to the non-full extension in a controlled manner.
- During the entire exercise, your upper body is entirely straight. However, your shoulders are slightly back, as if you were putting your shoulder blades into the back pockets of your trousers.
- 3 times 8 to 12 repetitions with 30 to 60 seconds rest are ideal.
One-leg deadlifts
You can do this exercise without a weight, with a barbell or two dumbbells.
- Stand upright and hold the weight or weights very close to your thighs with your arm extended.
- Then bend your completely straight upper body forward and bring the weight down along your standing leg while bringing the other leg back.
- Hold down briefly and then straighten up again. Do 2 repetitions of 8 to 12 on each side.
Core-Training
The core muscles are another weak point for many runners. With planks in different variations, you can train them very effectively without spending a lot of time. Try to hold the different positions for at least 30 seconds or do the exercise shown in the video below for 30 to 40 seconds.
Bulgarian squats
Another highly effective exercise that improves athletic legs and balance skills are Bulgarian squats:
- Stand backward in front of a bench, stool, or box and place one leg on the elevation.
- With the standing leg, you squat as low as possible in a controlled manner and push yourself back up.
- Do 3 x 8 to 12 repetitions with each leg.
