Strength Training for Runners
What is “runner’s high”?
Sometimes runners have a tendency to run and only run. For good reason. Running is fun, endorphins are released and running feels like an efficient use of your exercise time. If you are like me, I love putting races on my schedule to have something to aim for and to give me that extra push when I might otherwise not get out for a run. But to be a complete runner, one should think of running as going hand in hand with strength and stability training. Strength and stability training can be very beneficial to reduce the risk of injury as well as enhance running performance. Runners are often diagnosed with injuries including Achilles tendinopathy, patellofemoral pain syndrome, ITB syndrome, medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints) and hip bursitis. Use of a formal training program has been found to decrease the risk of race related injury among half marathoners. Even elite runners have a strength and stability program built into their regimen.
A well-rounded program includes targeting some of the key muscle groups like the transverse abdominis, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, quadriceps and calf (gastrocnemius and soleus). These muscles and their associated exercises are essential for bone building and maintenance. Being sedentary can be detrimental to bone density. The goal is to follow a program that triggers a proper loading response in your tissues which can also make running more fun. Here is a link to some of the most common running injuries and how a physical therapist can help you recover and manage such symptoms. https://www.choosept.com/Running The primary goal is to build tolerance to load and the forces associated with running.
Think about how your form looks when you are taking those first few steps of a race. Your hips might feel level, your arms are driving, your shoulders are back. Now think of your finish line photo. Is one knee dropping in causing a drop in that hip? Are your shoulders rounded? Is your stride length shorter or longer? The goal with strength and stability exercises is that your starting line photo will look like your finish line photo. This can particularly be the case with longer distance races or runs. This is a good time to talk about the core. Think of the core muscles as the link between your upper body and your lower body. These muscles transfer forces through the kinetic chain to keep our stride efficient. We need to give these muscles some stimulus outside of just running. Planks, side-stepping with a band and bridges are all examples of exercises targeting your core.
Try to include a strength and stability day on a non-run day, 2x/week. Even standing on one foot with your eyes closed while trying to keep your hips level (by not letting your knees touch) can be a stability exercise. Cycling or swimming can be included for cross-training but think of these days as reserved for functional strength building for your sport. For example, a single-leg squat will be more functional than a leg press machine as it is more dynamic and more consistent with the requirements of running. A physical therapist or a certified running coach (or a PT who is also a certified running coach) can help you design a program to rehabilitate an injury or to prevent one from occurring in the first place.
You may not have a race on the schedule right now but imagine a virtual race, a social distance run or just a run of the mill regular old run. Make it that much better by ensuring your mechanics are ideal knowing you have put in the time to nurture your natural form.
About the author:
Mandie is a co-founder of the Alpine Training Project as well as an avid backcountry skier and ski mountaineer. She grew up skiing in Bozeman, Montana and now enjoys every opportunity to ski in the N. Cascades of Washington State, the volcanoes of the west coast and during a yearly backcountry hut trip in Canada. Mandie works in the medical pool with the US Ski Team including covering World Cup races and camps as the on-site PT. Mandie is a physical therapist at Lake Washington PT in Kirkland, WA. She particularly enjoys helping people reach their goals whether they involve the outdoors or not.