Putting in the legwork
Strengthen your legs and get your kinetic chain working in unison to guard against injury and muscle imbalances, with exercise scientist Anne-Marie Lategan
Strong leg muscles are key for good running technique and alignment. Because running is a constant linear movement it’s important to add additional leg strength exercises to prevent any muscle imbalances. Focusing on your inner thighs, outer thighs and bottom will guard against your muscles developing an imbalance. Increasing the strength and explosive power in your leg muscles will increase your speed and help you to reach your personal best.
Warm up
Jog on the spot for one minute. Swing your leg from side to side and then forwards and backwards to mobilise your hips. Perform 10 body-weight squats and finish off with another minute jogging on the spot. Your warm up should be around five minutes long.
Sets and reps
Perform two sets of 20 repetitions and perform the workout around twice a week.
Cool down
It’s important to stretch your front and back thigh muscles as well as your glutes (bottom). The reason for this is that tightness in these areas is the main cause for most running injuries and it can also lead to muscle imbalances.