Running is a pretty simple concept – put one foot in front of the other and get from point A to point B as quickly as you can, right? Well, it’s not quite as simple as that. Runners need to be conscious of a number of factors in order to stay fit and healthy and keep improving their times.
Speed is important, but so are strength, stamina, form, cadence and technique. So simply running regularly isn’t enough – you need to incorporate a range of exercises into your routine in order to train each of the different muscle groups necessary to perfect your running style and protect you against injuries.
How can resistance bands help?
One of the most effective ways to do this is to use resistance bands as part of your training, whether that’s during a warm up session, when recovering from a big race, or simply in between runs to build strength in supporting muscles.
We’ve looked at some of the most popular resistance band exercises which are used by both professional and amateur runners alike in order to maintain whole-body fitness, prepare for their runs and lower the risk of sprains or strains. All you need in order to try these out is a resistance band, for example a speed band set, and perhaps a gym mat for the floor based exercises.
Building hip strength
Many common problems experienced by runners, including knee pain, iliotibial band syndrome and other overuse injuries can be traced to weakness in the hip muscles, particularly the hip abductors and adductors.
In order to target these muscles, there are a number of resistance band exercises you can do to improve mobility and increase strength. Side steps, monster steps and standing hip abductions all work well in building the hip muscles while improving the range of movement you can comfortably achieve.
Avoiding shin splints
Lower leg pain, and particularly shin splints are a common complaint from regular runners. In order to prevent this type of injury, it’s important to work on your ankle strength, as weakness in this area is a cause of instability while running, which can lead directly to the lower leg problems mentioned above.
A good exercise to combat this is ankle dorsiflexion – essentially, exercising the muscles which pull your foot up and towards your shin. Using a resistance band allows you to vary the difficulty of this exercise as your strength increases.
Developing explosive strength
As well as stability, strength is also crucial for any runner. It’s what let’s you push ahead of your competitors, it’s what keeps you going mile after mile, it’s what powers you up hills and against headwinds. Key areas for runners are the core, glutes, quadriceps and calves, which provide most of the power needed to keep up your pace.
To train these muscle groups, one of the best exercises is the resistance band squat, which you can make even more effective by combining lateral leg raises. Additionally, to isolate the glutes and stretch and tone the hamstrings, try standing kickbacks (you’ll need a secure point to anchor your resistance band.
To work on your quadriceps, you can try building in terminal knee extensions to your workout program. For the outer thigh muscles, and the groin areas, add in some clams or hip bridges.
Maintain proper posture
Poor posture doesn’t have an immediate effect on your health, but over time, it can be the root cause of a number of joint and muscle problems, as your body struggles to compensate for uneven weight distribution while running.
The most affected area is usually the upper back and shoulders, where hunching can tighten the muscles and cause you to develop a stooped posture, which is particularly obvious in profile. This affects your center of gravity and can put added strain on your joints during impact exercises such as running.
There are a number of resistance band exercises you can do which have a positive effect on posture, while toning your upper body and core muscle groups. Specific workouts which target the shoulders include the standing upright row, shoulder press, band pull aparts and the reverse fly.
As well as loosening up your shoulders, these drills will improve your overall range of motion, and will also help strengthen and tone your core, which will improve your stamina.
Creating your program
As we’ve seen, there is an extensive range of options available when it comes to resistance band training for runners. The best initial approach is to identify which aspects of running are causing you potential problems and build a custom workout regime with exercises which target those specific issues.
Overall though, you should look at incorporating some aspects of each type of training mentioned above, to ensure that you are constantly improving in the areas of strength, mobility, flexibility, stamina and posture.
A holistic approach will bring better results over time, and gives you the best chance of avoiding injury. Just as a car needs regular services and oil changes, your body needs a regular training routine to ensure it keeps running smoothly over the years.