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Four single-leg exercises all runners should try
Single-leg exercises will help you become a faster runner, while keeping injuries away.
Looking to spice up your strength-training routine, or hoping to become an injury-free speedster in just a few extra minutes a week? Cue single-leg strength training! We’ve got the perfect exercises to kickstart your single-leg journey to running stardom.
Focusing on one leg at a time, these exercises boost balance, stability and muscular coordination—crucial for efficient running mechanics. By mimicking the natural gait cycle, these exercises build strength in the exact movement patterns used during runs. Adding single-leg strength training to your routine can lead to more powerful strides, better endurance and fewer overuse injuries, making it a game-changer for runners of all levels.
1.-Step-up
What it does: Step-ups target the quads, glutes and calves, building strength and power in the legs. They mimic the climbing motion in trail running, improving uphill running performance.
Stand several inches in front of an elevated platform. Place your right foot on the platform, ensuring your whole foot is on it.
Push through the heel of the elevated foot to lift your body onto the platform. Step down with the left foot, returning to the starting position.
2.- Single-leg glute bridge
What it does: Activates and strengthens glutes and core.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your right leg, extending it straight out.
Press through your left heel to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
Lower your hips back down, and repeat on the left leg (alternatively, do 10 repeats with the right leg before switching to the left leg; repeat 3 sets).
3.- Hip hike
What it does: Strengthens the muscles around the hips and pelvis, helping to prevent injuries such as iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, runner’s knee and hip pain, which often result from weak or imbalanced hip muscles.
Stand on your right foot, keeping your pelvis in a neutral position.
Drop your left hip so it is several inches below the right side of your pelvic bone. Activate your right hip muscle to lift your left side back to a neutral position. Try imagining that your pelvis is a bowl and you’re tilting one side of the bowl down.
Aim for 20-30 repetitions per leg.
4.- Single-leg deadlifts
What it does: Single-leg deadlifts strengthen the hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles. They improve balance and proprioception, essential for maintaining stability on uneven terrain.
Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee. Hinge at the hips, lowering your torso while extending the other leg behind you.
Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout the movement.
Return to the starting position by engaging your glutes and hamstrings.
Repeat 10 times, then switch legs.
For any of these exercises, moving with control and good form is more important than the number of reps you perform. Do fewer repeats if these exercises are particularly challenging or new to you; add sets once you build strength.
(07/24/2024) Views: 310 ⚡AMPby Keeley Milne
