Run strong and injury free

Running is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise but it places a great deal of demand on the body. Without proper muscle strength to support this demand there is a large risk for injury. Studies have estimated that as many as 70 percent of runners experience an overuse injury in any given year. Without proper muscular strength and balance your body becomes highly prone to injury.

For those runners entering races, increasing strength can help to boost performance and decrease risk of injury. There is a growing body of evidence to show that incorporating dynamic strength and balance exercises into your regular training program can increase speed, running efficiency and overall endurance.

Strength training allows your body to use oxygen and become more efficient at producing the energy necessary for running. This will simultaneously promote faster recoveries from those long runs and allow you to get right back on your feet again.

When designing a strength-training program, the runner should start at the core. Training the abdominal and low back muscles will provide a stable base from which to generate power.

The hips and buttocks are essential to improving speed and efficiency. Leg exercises are particularly important when it comes to decreasing risk of injury in runners. Knowing that the hips and knees are the most common sites for injury in runners, strengthening exercises can help to decrease your risk for injury. The more supported by surrounding muscles they are, the more stable the joints become and the risk of repetitive stress injuries is less.