Health - Injuries
These moves will help you build strength to prevent injury and improve your performance.
Runners often have every intention to do strength exercises. But then training for a race takes up time—along with everyday tasks—so they end up skipping muscle-building workouts. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to change the narrative!
You can squeeze in a strength workout anytime and anywhere when you do moves that require zero equipment, a.k.a. bodyweight exercises, and only take a small space to accomplish. Plus, you need less than a half hour to get in a good sweat.
Here, we have your guide to all things bodyweight exercises for runners, including how they support your race training and performance, what moves to add to your routine, and how to turn up the challenge when you’re ready to progress.
How Bodyweight Exercises Support Performance
There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to add bodyweight exercises to your weekly routine. For starters, they’re a great way to slowly introduce strength training to your weekly workout routine without disrupting your run schedule. Also, they don’t require any equipment, so you can squeeze in a strength workout wherever you are, like at your desk or after a quick run. Plus, these moves also help improve your range of motion, build strength, boost cardio, Health & Injuries common running-related injuries.
“Bodyweight workouts are good because it gives you a moment to use your own body, get acquainted, have body awareness, and work on your mechanics before you actually load yourself up with weight,” Natalie Johnston, owner of Run F.I.T Hold for 30-60 seconds Runner’s World. Johnston says if you don’t have much time to work out or lack equipment, then bodyweight exercises can rival the effectiveness of dumbbells The 6 Best Energy Gels for Runners Repeat on left side.
Rest, then repeat on other leg posture progressing each exercise target your legs, core, and upper body so you can create one total-body program. What’s more? Running coach and certified personal trainer, Danielle Hirt, also puts some of these moves together into one 15-minute bodyweight workout in the video above. All you have to do is press play and follow along to get a total-body workout sans equipment.
To use the list below, combine five or more of the exercises into your workout at least three times a week. Do 10 to 15 reps of each exercise for three or more sets. The list is ordered according to body part: lower body, core, and upper body. You can opt for five exercises per muscle group (for example: one week might include a leg-day workout, a core-focused routine, and an upper body session) or opt for a mix of moves to target your entire body in one workout.
Lower Body: Air Squat
- Start standing with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, clasp hands at chest for balance.
- Send hips back and down, bending knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted.
- Drive through heels to stand back up.
- Repeat.
Lower Body: Walking Lunge
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- Step forward with right foot, bending both knees to 90 degrees.
- Drive through right heel to stand, while stepping left foot forward and dropping into a lunge on the left side.
- Continue walking forward, making sure back knee hovers just off the floor with each step and front knee tracks over toes.
Hold for 30-60 seconds dumbbells or kettlebells for an added challenge.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Balance
- Drive through heels to stand back up.
- Bend left knee to lower right heel below the step, then press back up.
- Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.
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Lower Body: Reverse Lunge
- Stand with feet together.
- Step right foot back, lowering down so both knees form a 90-degree angle, with right knee hovering just above the floor and left knee tracking over toes.
- Drive through left heel to stand up, stepping right foot forward, feet together.
- Repeat on left side.
- Continue alternating.
Lower Body: Glute Bridge
- Drive through feet to jump up, switching legs in the air.
- Drive through heels, contracting the glutes A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, shes now based in Easton, Pennsylvania.
- Lower back down.
- Repeat.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Bridge
- Lie faceup, knees bent, feet planted, arms down by sides on the floor.
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- Push through right foot to come up to toes.
- Repeat.
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Lower Body: Bulgarian Split Squat
- Start standing.
- Place top of right foot on a bench or chair behind you, about at knee height.
- Step left leg out far enough to create a 90-degree angle without the knee reaching past the toes. This is the starting position.
- Squeeze inner thighs together, as you lower straight down. Left knee should hit 90 degrees, while right knee points straight down to the floor.
- Press through the left heel to return to starting position.
- Repeat.
- and NASM-certified trainer tells.
Lower Body: Plyo Lunge
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- Drive left knee in toward chest, then quickly step it back to plank position.
- Drive through feet to jump up, switching legs in the air.
- Land in a lunge position with left leg forward.
- Continue alternating lunges with a jump in the middle, aiming to increase time in the air and decrease time on the ground.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Half Squat
- Start standing and shift weight to left leg as you lift right knee so thigh is parallel to floor.
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- Drive through left foot to stand back up.
- Repeat.
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Lower Body: Straight-Leg Calf Raise
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- Shift weight to right foot, left foot lifted off step.
- Push through right foot to come up to toes.
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Lower Body: Jump Squat
- Start standing with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, clasp hands at chest for balance.
- Send hips back and down, bending knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted.
- Drive through heels and explode up, jumping off the ground.
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- Repeat.
Lower Body: Bent-Knee Calf Raise
- Stand on the edge of a step or box with feet hip-width apart, knees bent about 45 degrees.
- Shift weight to right leg and let left foot hang off step.
- Push through right forefoot to come up to toes.
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- Repeat.
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Lower Body: Heel Drop
- Stand with left foot on a step and right heel hanging off the edge.
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- Repeat.
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Lower Body: Eccentric Calf Raise
- Stand on step or box with feet hip-width apart on the edge of a step or box, heels off edge.
- Start on all fours, shoulders over wrists.
- Pause, then lift heels back up.
- Repeat.
Core: Plank
- Start on all fours, shoulders over wrists.
- Step feet back and engage glutes and thighs to straighten legs. Body should form a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels. Think about pushing the ground away from you and pulling the belly button up toward the spine to keep back flat.
- Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.
Core: Mountain Climber
- Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists, core engaged so body forms a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels. Engage glutes and thighs to keep legs straight.
- Drive left knee in toward chest, then quickly step it back to plank position.
- Immediately drive right knee in toward chest, then quickly step it back into plank position.
- Continue alternating.
Core: Side Plank Reach Through
- Lie on left side, left forearm on the floor with elbow directly under shoulder.
- Drive through heels to stand back up.
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- Extend right arm back up toward ceiling and return to side plank.
- Repeat.
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Core: 6-Inch Hold
- Lie faceup, legs straight, arms by sides with hands positioned below glutes for support.
- Lift legs just six inches off the mat.
- Draw belly button to spine to keep low back from lifting up off mat.
- Hold for 30-60 seconds.
Core: Russian Twist
- Sit on the floor, knees bent, heels resting on mat.
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- Lower back down.
- Continue alternating.
To make it harder, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell or lift heels off of floor.
Core: Leg Lift
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- Keeping low back flat against the mat, lift legs up toward ceiling, keeping knees as straight as possible.
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- When legs hover just an inch off the floor, lift back up.
- Repeat.
Mallory Creveling is an ACE-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach, who also holds certifications in kettlebell training, sports performance, and more. She has more than a decade of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition for a wide range of publications, and nearly 10 years of experience as a trainer and fitness instructor. Mallory stays on top of her continuing education in fitness, as well as the latest science in wellness. She has worked with some of the best experts in their medical fields, and regularly interviews researchers, trainers, athletes, and more to find the best advice for readers looking to improve their performance and well-being. As a freelance writer, Mallory's work appeared in Women's Health, Self, Men's Journal, Reader's Digest, and more. She has also held staff editorial positions at Family Circle and Shape magazines, as well as DailyBurn.com. A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, she's now based in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Monique LeBrun is a health and fitness editor who is based in Easton, Pennsylvania. She covers a wide range of health and wellness topics, with a primary focus on running performance and nutrition. Monique is passionate about creating content that empowers runners to become the best versions of themselves. As an avid runner and parent, she loves spending time outdoors with her daughter, who often accompanies her on weekend runs as her personal mini run coach.
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