Interested in running? Explore these nine movements first.

The best part about running is that all that you need is a pair of running shoes and the desire to run.

Before you hit the pavement, explore these movements to make sure you’re minimizing risk of injury.

Already running and not sure? Consider adding these exercises to your morning routine to keep your core, glutes and hips, and yes, upper body, strong and activated!

The movements below help to prepare your body for the physical demands of running. When running, you want to have a strong core, ability to balance on one foot, and be able to land on one foot after an explosive movement. Our goal is to ensure you are able to run without getting injured!

Plank hold

Start with 10 to 30 seconds and build up to 60 seconds.

Start lying on your stomach. Place your forearms on the floor with shoulders stacked over your elbows. Exhale and pull your belly button to your spine, push your body up- creating a straight line between your heels and your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes and make sure your body is in a straight line with your hips down (try checking your form in a mirror to start). Try to keep your shoulders relaxed. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Glute Bridge

Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Lie on with your back on the floor, knees bent, feet on the floor, hips-width distance apart. Slightly tuck your shoulders back and down, under your body. Your arms will create a V-shape away from your body. Exhale and pull your belly button to spine. Push your hips up towards the ceiling and squeeze butt muscles. While holding, let your abs drop into place- do not over-extend. Pull your abs in while squeezing your glutes. If you feel your lower back or neck engage, you can start with modified range of motion, and modified time under tension.

Single Leg Glute Bridge (Progression)

Start with your back on the floor, knees bent and feet on the floor. Bring your feet together, and squeeze your knees together. Exhale and pull your belly button to spine, push your hips up. Squeeze your inner thighs and butt muscles. Let abs fall in line. Wait 10 seconds then lift one leg – hold for 5 to 30 seconds per leg – 2 intervals = total of 10 to 60 second single leg glute bridge. The next progression, is to have a slight distance between the knees, and utilize the deep, intrinsic stabilizers to keep the hips level, during the single leg glute bridge.

Multi-planar Lunges

8 reps on each side.

Start in a standing position with feet together. Put one foot backward; rise up onto the ball of the rear foot. Imagine each foot is on a different train track. Distribute weight evenly throughout lower body. Lower your body straight downward (not forward), bending the knee almost to the floor without touching it. Keep your shoulders over hips. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. As you push through the front heel, activate the front glute, as the main “agonist” or prime mover. Do not lurch forward on the way up, nor allow knee to glide forward beyond front toe. Make sure you do not go too low. Do this in all planes of motion (Forward, Out to 45*, lateral aka to the side, transverse aka back to 45*, and reverse).

Explosive lunges (Progression)

Start in a standing position with feet together. Put one foot backward as in a standing lunge, lowering the knee almost to the floor. Rather than bringing the back foot forward to meet the front foot again, push into the front leg and explode the back leg forward to the front to a 90 degree angle, jumping straight up into the front leg. As you land, bring the back leg to the floor behind you again, and repeat for 10 reps.

Squat

10 reps.

Starting in a standing position with your feet hips width apart. Squat down as though sitting onto a chair, with knees stacked above your ankles. Arms should be raised overhead with palms facing in. Lower to 90 degrees, then return to standing position, pushing through your heels to engage your glutes as you stand. Focus on keeping the core engaged and upper body upright, with knees pointed forward. 

Squat Jump (Progression)

Similar to the squat, but instead of standing up from a 90 degree squatting position, fire the glutes and push through the feet to jump into the air, pushing from heels to toes. Arms should come to the front of the body as you squat down, and down and out as you jump into the air. Land on the balls of your feet and slowly roll back into the heels, returning to a squat position and repeat. 

Band walks

20 feet in each direction. 

Using a looped resistance band, place band around the ankles. Slightly bend your knees into a half squat, and step out to the side laterally (to the side), leading with the left foot and following with the right. Keep the resistance on the band and a bend in the knees the whole time. Focus on keeping the core engaged and not letting the knees collapse in. Repeat for 20 feet in each direction. 

Push Ups

10 to 15 reps.

Come into a high plank position, with the hands flat on the floor stacked underneath your shoulders. Think about keeping your belly button pulled into your spine. Engage the core and squeeze your glutes. Head neutral and shoulders relaxed. Lower your body in one line down to the ground, then push back up into a high plank without letting the hips drop. Repeat 5-10 reps or to fatigue. If you can’t perform a full push-up, drop down to your knees for assisted push-ups and repeat as many reps as possible with good form. 

Repeat each exercise 1-3 times depending on how you are feeling that day.