The 15-Minute Workout That Will Help You Build Strength and Prevent Injury
Incorporate these eight moves into your cross-training sessions ASAP.
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The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults perform resistance exercises for each of the major muscle groups two or more times per week. It’s especially important for runners—a strong musculature can better absorb the impact stress of repetitive footstrikes—so we recommend doing 15-minute sessions like this one three times per week.
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At the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST) in Greenville, South Carolina, we hear from runners who want to get faster, from those who simply want to enjoy the sport for life, and from those who’ve given up on running entirely. They’ve stopped because injuries have made it too frustrating or too painful to continue.
The two of us—both longtime runners—spend a lot of time discussing what we can do now to increase the likelihood that we’ll log miles well into old age. We want to be able to keep doing what we love to do—and that’s probably a goal of yours, too.
Based on our experiences as athletes, coaches, and exercise scientists, we developed the 7-Hour Workout Week, which is detailed in our new book How to Treat Sore Hamstrings After Running. The plan includes activities to enhance cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. Many runners have confessed that they skip the resistance training, stretching, and cross-training Running Shoes & Gear.
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This workout was adapted from Runner’s World How to Treat Sore Hamstrings After Running: How to Become a Fit and Healthy Lifelong Runner by Following the Innovative 7-Hour Workout Week, by the Experts at FIRST, Bill Pierce, and Scott Murr (Rodale).
we recommend, but these exercises are critical for staying healthy as you become fitter and faster
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