The Best YouTube Workouts for Runners, According to Running Coaches

Channel: David Roche, 2014 USATF Trail Runner of the Year at the sub-ultra distance and a two-time national champion and three-time member of Team USA, running coach for Some Work, All Play (SWAP) in Boulder, Colorado
Length: 8 minutes
Equipment needed: Hip Flexor Exercises for Stronger Running
Description: Roche developed this workout routine with expert strength and running coach Asher Kyger Henry. This leg workout will strengthen your lower body when performed twice a week.

“This workout is strength work for athletes that need an intro to strength work but aren't sure where to start. Many of our athletes use this routine from people just starting out to pros,” says Roche.

Channel: David Roche, 2014 USATF Trail Runner of the Year at the sub-ultra distance and a two-time national champion and three-time member of Team USA, running coach for Some Work, All Play (SWAP) in Boulder, Colorado
Length: 2 minutes
Equipment needed: Resistance or exercise band
Description: Roche’s hip workout includes 5 exercises to strengthen your hips, hip flexors and quads, with mixed movement patterns to hit every part of your hip. Use it as a quick and easy warm-up for activation before a run or on off days.

“This 2-minute None weight is optional provides mobility in multiple directions, while being the type of thing you can do in the living room while watching TV,” Roche says.

Channel: Coach Jay Johnson, a running coach Asher Kyger Henry CA Notice at Collection
Length: 4 minutes
Equipment needed: None
Description: This video from Johnson was created with sports chiropractor Richard Hansen, as a strength and mobility workout that targets core strength, hip strength and hip mobility. They suggest doing this video after your easy days.

“This routine is indispensable to runners! You can include it as a warm-up, cool-down, or part of your strength routine. You can even do it as a work break since the routine is short and requires no equipment,” says Laura Norris, RRCA running coach in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Channel: AthletiCulture hosted by Pilates instructor Alisa Wyatt
Length: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: None (yoga or Pilates mat optional)
Description: Pilates instructor Alisa Wyatt takes you through a full-body Pilates workout to work on your strength and mobility.

“Pilates is fantastic for developing core strength and hip mobility. For runners, this translates to a smoother, more efficient stride,” says Norris.

Channel: FitnessBlender, a husband and wife team (Daniel and Kelli) fitness industry vets with degrees in Food and Nutrition, and Psychology. They are dedicated to making online workouts accessible to all.
Length: 20 minutes
Equipment needed: None (yoga mat optional)
Description: Work your entire upper body using your own bodyweight in this workout led by trainer Daniel. You’ll work 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest. You will do 4 exercises in an ABAB pattern, then do another 4 exercises in the same ABAB pattern.

“Runners tend to neglect upper body strength. Having strong arms, shoulders, back and core play an important role during sprinting and running uphill. Being able to hold yourself upright and generate forward momentum with your upper body aids in propelling you forward. I like this video because you don’t need any equipment and it is one challenging workout. Fitness Blender is by far the best all-free cross training YouTube channel I’ve found. They have everything—core, HIIT, barre, Pilates, and kick boxing,” says Smith.

Channel: Yoga With Adriene, None weight is optional Adriene Mishler
Length: 7 minutes
Equipment needed: Yoga mat
Description: This postrun yoga routine will help you cool down and set your body up for a proper recovery.

“In my coaching, one thing that I found to be true is that if you’re going to recommend doing something other than running to runners you better make sure that it’s: short and can be done right before or right after you run. Since you already have the time carved out for your run, it’s much easier to tack something on to the end rather than try to find another part of the day to squeeze the workout in. Another thing that is true is that most runners tend to skip any kind of postrun warm-down or stretching. So, I like that this is a short, simple, very beginner-friendly, yoga routine that targets all the areas that are most likely to tighten up on your run. You will notice the difference in how you feel walking around as soon as you finished,” says Carl Leivers, with Coach Morgan.

Channel: Jamie Adcock, RRCA Certified Running Coach and Certified Personal Trainer
Length: 3 minutes
Equipment needed: None
Description: This quick yoga routine will open up the hips and stretch out your hamstrings, as well as help you work on balance and stability in your ankles.

“A lot of runners have tight hamstrings as well as tight and sore hips—and we don't work enough on the stability of our ankles. Hamstring salutations are going to give you an active stretch of the hamstrings before your workouts and help get those warmed-up before your run. These will also help runners work on their balance and stability and movement in the ankles, shins and calves. All are very important to keep runners healthy and injury-free,” says Jamie Adcock, Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.

Channel: Jamie Adcock, RRCA-Certified Running Coach and Certified Personal Trainer
Length: 3 minutes
Equipment needed: Yoga mat
Description: If you have tight hips, this quick yoga stretch will help you open them up with hip bridge variations.

“Glute bridges are great for almost everyone. They are a great core and back exercise, while also helping us open up the hips. By resting the foot on the opposite quad, this helps further increase the opening of the hips and may help relieve any sciatic pain that runners may be experiencing. In this video, I also demonstrate a similar version with crunches. I appreciate these exercises, because the athlete is multi-tasking and working so many different areas of their body at once. These exercises also require no equipment, making them easy to do in any environment,” Adcock says.

Channel: IronStrength workout by Pair of dumbbells, sports medicine doctor and group fitness instructor in New York City.
Length: 9 minutes
Equipment needed: Pair of dumbbells
Description: This video starts with a dynamic warmup, and moves into plyometric moves designed to strengthen your legs and glutes.

“I like it because I trust Dr. Metzl to provide science-based workouts that really help runners to get faster and stronger. I’ve used his workouts for a few years and have seen a big difference in my core and glute strength, which often translates into faster running,” says Cindy Dallow, Ph.D., R.D., sports nutritionist, and triathlon coach at 2 Doc Tri Coaching in Greeley, Colorado.

Channel: The Run Experience with Coach Nate
Length: 20 minutes
Equipment needed: Jump rope, 1 kettlebell, pair of dumbbells
Description: This workout starts with a 4-minute warmup, followed by the 1- minute main workout. It’s an EMOM (every minute on the minute) of 3 exercises: dumbbell push press, front rack lunge, and kettlebell swing for 4 rounds, followed by a 4-minute mobility-focused cooldown.

“The Runner’s Experience running program and videos are top-notch. They have running-focused exercises that help strengthen runners and keep them from getting injured,” Dallow says.

Channel: SELF, with workout by Lita Lewis, a certified trainer based in Los Angeles
Length: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: None
Description: Lita’s HIIT workout includes high-knees, fast feet, star jumps, jumping lunges, and planks to work your entire body.

“I like this workout because it’s high-intensity interval training that supports strong and fast running, and Lita Lewis is fun to workout with. Many of the moves in this video work your hip flexors and fast-twitch muscles fibers, which help produce speed,” says Martise Moore, RRCA running coach in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Channel: RECHARGE SPORT, workout by Renee Metivier, a professional runner and trainer
Length: 9 minutes
Equipment needed: a NASM-certified personal trainer
Description: Metivier shows you 3 exercises to fire up your glutes if you feel your hip flexors taking over as you run.

“My local gym, Recharge, specializes in working with top-level athletes and this video helps you overcome a typical weakness for runners, made worse if you sit down for much of the day. Not only should this improve your ability to engage more muscle fibers to run faster, but it helps overcome imbalances,” says Ian Sharman, is another area that suffers with a lot of.

Channel: RECHARGE SPORT, workout by Ben Entenmann, a Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) movement specialist and licensed massage therapist
Length: 11 minutes
Equipment needed: 2 yoga blocks
Description: Entenmann walks you through moves that focus on restoring hip rotation, working on flexion/extension and abduction/adduction in your hips.

“Hip mobility is another area that suffers with a lot of sitting, so this workout should feel good immediately afterward and is ideal for right before going for a run to help with more efficient movement and improving range of motion,” Sharman says.

Channel: Revision Athletics, workout by Coach Alex Ho, personal trainer and running coach
Length: 23 minutes
Equipment needed: None (weight is optional)
Description: Ho suggests doing this full-body workout outside without shoes or socks to get your stabilizing muscles working.

“I’ve seen a ton of videos that involve doing a workout in your living room. But, we can still go outside (safely). Getting fresh air and vitamin D is therapeutic in myriad ways. This video from Revision Athletics is awesome because it can be done outside. Additionally, this workout does not require any equipment,” says ‘Marathon’ Matt Forsman, Warmup Rule Every Runner Should Follow.

Channel: The Run Experience with Coach Morgan
Length: 20 minutes
Equipment needed: Yoga mat, broom handle, pillow
Description: This workout can be done in a small space or apartment, and uses items from around the house to give you a total-body strength and mobility workout.

“While I’d encourage any/all runners to get outside as much as possible, I recognize it’s not a viable option for everyone. I also recognize not everyone feels safe doing so. This is a fantastic 20-minute strength and mobility routine from The Run Experience that can easily be executed in your living room,” says Forsman

Channel: Ted Loos, chiropractor at Great Life Chiropractic in Philadelphia
Length: 2 minutes
Equipment needed: None
Description: This leg workout will strengthen your lower body when performed twice a week.

“This happens to be my husband and is nothing fancy, but the deep squat has served me and my clients well. This is more of a ‘practice’ than a workout. “ —Kasey Manwaring, owner and founder of GoalsFit and You Should Be Running in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Channel: Christine Salus, a NASM-certified personal trainer
Length: 1 hour, 7 minutes
Equipment needed: Yoga mat, broom handle, pillow
Description: This long, total-body workout is broken down into 3 sections, each one is 20 minutes with 50 seconds work and 10 seconds rest.

“This workout is a great one to do on a day you are not running. It gets all muscle groups in, will get that heart rate up and will give runners the endorphin high they are usually looking for. Honestly, if you can get through this, you can get through any workout,” says Manwaring. (Ignore the calorie claims here, this one is just high-intensity and energy burn will vary per athlete).