Running is a primitive movement people can greatly benefit from. It helps build aerobic capacity, keep your body lean and improves your mood.
Unfortunately, many of those who enjoy running spend too much time recovering from injury and not enough time maximizing their performance.
Improper shoes, increasing volume too soon and random program design are some of the external factors that can cause injuries in runners. Dysfunctional movement patterns, muscle imbalances, poor lifestyle habits, weight gain or poor running gait are some of the internal factors that can cause problems.
If you are always injured, your training will be inconsistent. When your training is inconsistent, progress will be halted.
Becoming a complete athlete will enable you to have longevity and excel in your running lifestyle. To become a complete and functional runner, follow the six rules below:
Strengthen Your Core
Having a strong and stable core will help you create a more economical stride.
The core involves everything from our mid-thigh up to our rib cage. The most important core stabilizers are the ones we do not see.
Strengthening the smaller stabilizers like the multifidis' (spinal muscles), pelvic muscles and deep abdominal muscles are crucial to creating this needed trunk stability. Having trunk and torso stability will improve your efficiency as a runner.
When performing exercises for your core, don't think sit-ups and twists. These are old school movements that can actually harm your lower back.
Focus on stability movements like planks and side planks and variations of carrying exercises like farmer walks, suitcase walks and waiter walks.Other exercises like hip bridges, mini-band walks and bird dogs will strengthen your hips and glutes.
These types of movements should be done year round to maintain core strength and stability.
Specific Strength Training
Runners need single-leg strength to improve balance and stability.
With every foot strike, 2 to 4 times the impact of your body weight travels from your foot up through your body. Which is why it's so important to improve your lower body strength and stability so you can absorb these forces.
Single-leg squats, single-leg deadlifts, lunge variations and step-ups are all great strength movements to add to your routine.