If you’re a runner who “just runs,” you may be putting yourself at risk for injury.
As a Physical Therapist, I find that runners often misunderstand the concept of building strength.
They think that running a lot will make them stronger.
Here’s the trouble:
Runners who “just run” will develop imbalances over time that cause injuries and slower running.
If you want to run injury-free, you need to target the right muscles and fix your imbalances. The only way to do this is through runner-specific strength training.
Watch the video to learn more:
Avoid This Mistake
Your strength is adaptive: you can lose it or build it depending on your activity level.
You probably understand that when you’re inactive, your strength level will go down. What you may not realize is that your strength level will also go down when you’re overactive.
For instance, going to the gym and exercising the same muscle every day will eventually cause breakdown.
Here’s What to Do
It’s important to understand where your strength level is and avoid going too far above or below it.
To build strength the right way, you want to stress your muscles just enough to feel some soreness. If you allow some time to recover, the muscles will come back stronger.
Each time you push yourself a little bit, your strength will improve. The trick is to stay in that threshold just above your comfort zone and build strength gradually.
Key Takeaway
If you want to run faster and injury-free, you need to fix your imbalances. The way to do that is through strength training.
The best place to start is by focusing on the glutes, core, and balance. Those are the three areas where runners typically struggle with imbalances, and that’s what we concentrate on at RunSmart.
With RunSmart, you can access an entire program of workouts designed specifically to help runners prevent injuries and run faster.
Say goodbye to injuries and run your best with RunSmart!
Ready to Run Injury-Free?
Learn how you unlock injury-free running with this free webinar from Physical Therapist, Steve Gonser.
