Five Important Lower-Body Exercises for Runners

When you think of lower-body exercises, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves are the top-of-mind muscle groups to work, right? Well, yes and no. Each of these muscle groups are important and depending on the runner one group may need to be worked more than another. But, there's an entirely different group of muscles that often get overlooked by most runners. These muscles (abductors and adductors) are found laterally on the outside and inside of the legs. There is not one abductor and one adductor muscle, rather they are a collection of different muscles that work to pull the legs away from or toward the body or to create internal or external rotation of the leg. They also work to provide stability and balance in the lower body. The glute medius muscle is a hip-abductor muscle that provides stability in the whole pelvic region when walking and running. It's when this muscle is tight or weak that often results in runners knee. Adductors running down the inside of the leg help provide stability as well as help with acceleration when running. Adductors are the only muslces in the lower-body that are continuously firing throughout the entire running stride cycle. Keeping these muscle groups well conditioned will not only help make you a more efficient runner, it will help decrease the chance of  injury and falling. The video below shows five simple exercises that are very effective in working your abductor and adductor muscles. Check it out!

Lower-Body and Core Workout for Runners

This Lower-Body/Core HIIT workout is perfect for runners. A HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout doesn't take much time, but gives a lot of bang for your bucks. The workout consists of 6 exercises-3 core and 3 lower-body. Complete each exercise for 20 secs moving from one exercise directly into the next exercise, taking no rest in between. After completing the 6th exercise, take a 1-minute rest break, then repeat the HIIT in the same fashion for a total of 5 rounds. The whole workout takes only 20 minutes. This format jacks up the heart rate ramping up your metabolism. The exercised selected in this workout target the core and all the major muscle groups in the lower body. The only equipment needed is a mat (or carpeted area) and a medicine ball. Don't have a medicine ball? No problem, use a large detergent bottle or fill an empty 1-gallon milk jug with water to use as  your weight. Give it a try! Tomorrow I'll post an Upper-Body/Core HIIT for Runners, so check that one out too! Check out my other workouts for runners on YouTube.

Dumbbell Core Workout for Runners

In many a post, I've lauded the benefits of a strong core for runners. A strong core and upper-body means prolonged strong running form. Prolonged strong running form means more time before fatigue sets-in on a long run. Next to improper fueling, fatigue is one of the main causes of runners hitting the wall.

Running is often thought of as a lower-body activity. It is, but it's just as much, if not more, an upper-body activity. A runner's power orignates from the core and moves down the legs. If a runner has a weak upper-body and begins to slouch on a run, that puts more stress on the core, making it work harder. If the core isn't strong, then it too will fatigue, leaving the legs to fend for themselves.

Below is an easy core circuit workout to help improve your core strength. It only takes a few minutes and all that's needed is a couple of dumbbells and an exercise mat. If you're new to working your core, start with light dumbbells, (5lbs or 8lbs). If you've been working your core, then a 10lb dumbbell may be more suitable for your starting weight. You don't need a ton of resistance to get a great workout with this circuit, so working your way to 15lbs for some of the workouts is probably the most you'll ever need. For some of the exercises (i.e., the Dumbbell Leg Lift) 5lbs or 8lbs is all you'll ever need.

Ease into the circuit. Begin with 8 to 10 repetitions of each exercise. Move from one exercise to the next without rest. That's one circuit. Take your rest at the end of the circuit. Make your initial goal to complete one circuit of the exercises. Once you've acclimated to doing one circuit of 8-10 reps for each exercise, you can up the ante by increasing the reps to 10-12 or 12-15, increase the weight of the dumbbells, or increase the number of times you do the circuit to 2 or 3.

Remember, before beginning any new exercise routine (especially if you're brand new to fitness), it's best to consult your doctor prior to doing the workout.



For a core workout using a med ball [click here].

Calf-Strengthening Workout for Runners

A reader of the blog, Wendy, motivated me to write this post and make the related video workout. Wendy contacted me and wanted to know what she could do for a "blown Achilles tendon" other than "bawling on the couch."

Wendy's situation is unfortunately pretty common among runners. When overworked, the Achilles will become inflamed which is usually tendonitis. If the inflammation isn't taken care of and the runner continues to work it, it can tear or rupture. Rest is usually the best thing when you're feeling soreness in the Achilles area, but if the pain is intense and/or continuous, you need to get an appointment with your sports doc and get a diagnosis and plan for how best to let it heal. -
Achilles problems usually are a result of problems with a group of muscles further up the leg—the calves(the gastrocnemius and the soleus). These two muscles run down the back of the lower leg and the Achilles tendon is what connects them to the heel bone. The calf muscles help propel you forward, but in runners the calves often tighten up causing the Achilles tendon to work a lot harder than it's supposed to. This extra work is what causes the tendonitis or in most severe cases, a tear or rupture.

Calf strengthening exercises and calf stretches are the best way to avoid Achilles tendon injuries. The following workout shows 5 different exercises that target your calves as well as two stretches. Once or twice a week pick 2 or 3 of the exercises and do 12-15 reps and 2-3 sets of each and before you know it you'll have calves that are working hard making you a stronger more efficient runner.



I heard back from Wendy the next day and she had good news. A trip to the physical therapist revealed it was some localized swelling and pain, but not a tear. A cortisone patch and some stretching exercises was prescribed. She'll be back running as soon as she can walk up and down the stairs with no pain. Yeah!