If you’re a runner, you’ve likely focused on perfecting your training plan, fine-tuning your diet, and picking out the best gear. However, there’s another crucial component that might be missing from your regimen: functional strength training. Far from being just a buzzword, functional strength training (FST) is the unsung hero in a runner’s toolkit, essential for building strength, preventing injuries, and improving posture and running gait.
Runners often develop muscle imbalances from the repetitive motion of the sport. Functional strength exercises correct these imbalances, leading to better posture both on and off the track. Improved posture isn’t just about looking good – it’s about running efficiently and reducing strain on your body. A proper running gait is crucial for efficiency and injury prevention. Functional strength training improves joint mobility and muscle flexibility, contributing to a smoother, more natural running stride.
- Bulgarian Split Squats: They strengthen the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, improving stability and power in each leg individually, reducing imbalance.
How to do it:
-Stand about two feet in front of a bench. Extend one leg back and rest the top of your foot on the bench.
-Squat down by flexing the knee and hip of your front leg.
-Push back up to the starting position.
- Romanian Deadlift: This exercise targets the hamstrings and lower back, critical for posture and injury prevention in runners.
How to do it:
-Hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your body, palms facing you.
-With a slight bend in your knees, hinge at your hips to lower the weights towards the ground, keeping your back straight
-Rise back to the starting position
3 Band Crawl Walk: It engages the gluteus medius, a key muscle for stabilising hips during running.
How to do it:
-Place a resistance band around your legs just above the knees.
-Get into a quarter-squat position and step to the side, maintaining tension in the band, then step the other foot in the same direction
-Continue side stepping for a set distance or reps
- Barbell Hip Thrusts: These strengthen the glutes, vital for powerful strides and protecting the lower back.
How to do it:
-Sit on the ground with a bench behind you and a barbell over your legs.
-Lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it
– Drive through your feet, extending your hips vertically with the barbell
- Cable Chop: This exercise enhances core stability, crucial for running efficiency and injury prevention.
How to do it:
-Stand to the side of a cable machine.
-Grab the handle with both hands and pull it across your body to the opposite side, rotating your torso while keeping your arms straight
6.Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk: It builds overall body strength, particularly in the shoulders, arms, grip, and core, enhancing posture and endurance.
How to do it:
-Hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides
– Stand tall and walk forward for a set distance or time.
- Pull-Ups: These strengthen the back, shoulders, and arms, helping maintain an upright posture during running.
How to do it:
-Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
-Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, then lower back down
- Barbell Clean and Press: This full-body movement builds explosive power, total body coordination, and core strength.
How to do it:
-Start with the barbell on the floor.
-Bend and lift it in a swift movement up to your shoulders, then press it overhead
- Calf Raises: Strong calves are essential for effective push-off in each stride and for preventing Achilles and calf injuries.
How to do it:
Stand with the balls of your feet on a raised surface, heels hanging off
Push through the balls of your feet to raise your body upward.
- Psoas March: This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, which are crucial for a strong, efficient running gait.
How to do it:
-Lie on your back with a resistance band around your feet.
-Bring your knees up so your hips are at 90 degrees.
– Extend one leg at a time, like marching, while keeping your core engaged and lower back pressed to the floor.
