Due to the current pandemic, all of us are forced to stay at home. The impact of it makes the old normal gone and there are plenty of changes we have to cope with. Events have been canceled, training postponed leaving all of us feeling a bit run down without the usual gym or track training. You might be under stress and anxiety about how to stay strong with everything that has been happening.
However, this moment gave you more time to train and prepare more at your own expense. All of this can be considered as a challenge to help you more hone your skill. If you wanted to stay disciplined and do some training, we made a list of efficient home exercises for runners and for everyone who’s aching to be back on track.
Level: Easy/Beginner
Exercise helps you with your overall strength as a runner, it helps build your muscle so that it can handle pressure and stress from hitting the pavement. you might be worried that home workout mistakes and not having the right equipment will hinder you from being stronger and faster. To help you with that, we will give you a foolproof exercise based on levels.
Hip raises are good for the glutes, it helps in mobility that will help your pelvis, legs, and torso aligned when you are running. This will boost your stability and will make you run more efficiently. Ensure that you are laying on your back with arms on your both side and feet on the floor. It will avoid straining your back as you lift your hips to the air. Keep your knees, hips, and shoulder aligned. Your shoulders should be on the floor to stop unnecessary weight in your neck. Stay in that position for few seconds and do 10-20 counts per set.
Leg raises also help you toughen your hip flexors which is the one involved in knee movements when you are running. This can also help strengthen your abdomen and your torso. Lie down on your back and put your hands on your side. Put your feet together and lift them vertically, put them down gradually a few inches above the floor. You will feel your legs and lower abdomen tense up with this exercise.
Level: Medium/Intermediate
Press-ups strengthen your chest, shoulder, and arms. It can also enhance your posture when you run. Settle down on the floor with your hands on both sides, tucked your toes under for better grip. Use this posture to push your body off the floor by using hand pressure, make sure that you have the proper stance. Extend your arms to the fullest and lower your body back down to the floor. Repeat it and do it properly to avoid straining your neck.
Single leg deadlift with weights can help your glutes and hamstrings to be strong and power up your running, moreover, it improves your lower body’s stability to help you avoid injuries. This is fairly easy, but adding dumbbells will make it more intense. Stand with your legs close, lift your left foot and extend your leg behind you. Lean forward and keep your back straight, extend your right arms towards the floor. Level your hips and bend your knee. Put down the weights as close to the floor and lift it back up horizontally. Make sure that you keep your balance.
Level: Hard/Advanced
Box jump will increase your power and speed, it can also strengthen your stamina for longer runs. Stand in front of the box around 30cm away from it, bend your knee in a quarter squat stance and swing your arms behind you. As you lean forward, jump into the box putting your weight on the lower body to land stable and soft. Squeeze your core and step back down. This exercise will be hard and tiring but it can certainly improve your speed. At the same time, you’ll experience an improvement in strength if you perform this exercise on a daily basis.
With the current situation of most of us, it changes the way we socialize and interact with each other. What we are accustomed to may not be suitable now, gyms and social gatherings might be far from us. However, you can still do things to make you feel strong and normal. We need to find a different way to lift ourselves up and strengthen not only physically and mentally. With this list of efficient home exercises, you can surely still keep your training routines, with the same challenge as before.
