Importance of Strength Training for Runners & Non Runners

Having good core & body strength, balance and stability is essential for runners. Strength training helps build strong muscles (obviously!), but this can also reduce the chance of injury, improve muscle fatigue, and improve muscle endurance.

Most runners tend to avoid strength training and stick to just running – to build up distance or speed or to build confidence with running, especially if they have just started out. And this is great, but you also need to work on all over body strength, including core to help improve your overall performance. Here are a few reasons:

• More efficient fat burning – Strength training will improve your body composition by helping to maintain a lean body, while decreasing overall body percentage of body fat. Muscle burns more calories! Simple!
• Be a faster, more efferent runner – Having stronger legs/butts, core & upper body, will help you to run faster, longer and more efficiently. You will also be able to recover faster.
• Decrease your risk of injury – Having stronger muscles will increase your joint stability, which reduces your risk of injury. Running alone will not keep your knees & hips strong enough to prevent injury. You need to keep the muscles surrounding these areas strong, to reduce injury rates.

Why is having a strong core important for runners?

1. Your core muscles are made up of several pairs of muscles that help to stabilize the spine and pelvis during functional movements – like running! To operate efficiently while running you MUST have a strong, stable base – your core!
2. Weakness or lack of sufficient coordination in the core can lead to less-efficient movements, strain, overuse, and injury.
3. ‘The pelvis, knee, and ankle joints all work together. If the pelvis is stable, more force will be applied from the foot to the ground upon foot strike. If the pelvis lacks stability, the force is not properly accounted for, and running will apply a tremendous amount of stress to the joints.’
4. Core stability allows you to maintain posture, form and stronger and longer strides when you get tired, therefore allowing you to maintain your pace.

So, stronger muscles – legs, butts, arms, shoulders and core = better, stronger, faster, more efficient runner!

But there are also loads of other great reasons to do strength training, not just for runners. Here are a few:

• Increase your metabolic rate – burns more calories = more chance to drop body fat
• Increasing & restoring bone density – helps to fight osteoporosis
• Increase lean muscle mass – you will not bulk up unless you lift weights all day everyday. You will change shape and tone up
• Prevent injury – strength training strengths our muscles & tendons
• Improve your balance
• Reduce the rate of heart disease
• Helps in rehabilitation and recovery
• Perform better in life – exercise, sports, and everything else we do on a daily basis – the stronger we are, the easier it is to perform our favourite activities, as well as everyday activities with ease and less pain.
• And most importantly – FEEL BETTER ABOUT OURSELVES. BE MORE CONFIDENT IN OURSELVES. Toned bodies, strong mind, decreased body fat, increased confidence. WIN, WIN, WIN!