What runner isn’t guilty of prioritizing everything else – like recovery, strength and conditioning or mobility? And if you have visions of moving around in complicated yoga poses, then think again. Movement is important for good running form, and it helps prevent injuries and keep you running.
Conversely, if you don’t move, your joints and muscles won’t move to their full potential, which in turn will slow you down as a runner. It also puts a lot of pressure on the muscles and muscles to pick up. laziness. So your risk is going to increase – and no rider wants to spend time in the saddle if they can avoid it.
Fortunately, moving is a simple and easy thing to do and see good progress in a short period of time. And it doesn’t require a lot of time or a lot of equipment. This easy task was put together by Alex Dudley, a dynamic coach and trainer who is the development manager at Pliability, who provides daily routines.
All you need is a few minutes of space and somewhere you can stretch a little, like a yoga mat or a towel placed on the floor. Try it a few times a week, and you’ll see results quickly.
7 moves in running flow for runners
Foot circumference
- Standing with feet slightly apart, roll your weight onto the outside of your feet
- Slowly shift your weight to your toes, then the inside, heels, and back to the outside in a circular motion.
- Repeat the circles five times and then switch directions, starting with the weight on the inside of your feet.
- Slowly shift your weight to your toes, the outside, heels, and back to the inside of your feet in a circular motion.
- Repeat the rounds five times.
Look down, Silas
- Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, bend at the waist, placing your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
- Press hands firmly into the floor, and heels into the ground – downward dog – hold for five seconds
- Lower your chest and hips to the ground, then press up through the arms, extending the arms, this is known as the ‘seal’.
- Firmly hold the seal position for five seconds, feeling the stretch in your hips and abs.
- Repeat five times.
The runners ran to Samson
- Start in a standing position
- Reach one leg behind you, keeping the heel on the ground to stretch the back of the calf in a runner’s pose.
- Now slowly bend that back knee down to the floor to bring the hips to the ground.
- Think of a deep stretch before the hips as you lower down to the ground
- After two breaths, press through the front heel to ‘snap’ the hips up and back to the runner’s point.
Knee Hug to Lunge
- Start in a standing position
- Tighten the glutes, pull the right knee up to the chest, hugging the knee
- Hold the knee to the chest for five seconds
- Bend the right knee and step forward into a lunge, keeping the left hip and knee down.
- Hold for five seconds and return your right leg to stand
- Repeat on the other leg.
- Begin standing with straight knees
- Now, balancing on one leg and a straight line from the head of the other toes, lean forward at the hip. Think of a strong stretching sensation in the hamstrings on the lower leg, keeping the pelvis as flat as the ground (do not open or close the hip). To help keep the pelvis square to the ground, think about reaching the index finger of the inactive side toward the big toe of the lower leg.
- At the end of the movement, maintain balance and try to “switch” to “open” the whole body on that lower leg.
- Now, slowly return to the starting position and try to “close” the body down to get the chest and pelvis to face the wall.
- Return to the starting position and come to a full stop
- Repeat five times on each side.
- Stand in front of a wall with your hands supported
- Now, stand on one leg, keep the other leg straight and swing back and forth pointing the toes in the direction you are swinging.
- Feel a strong stretch, no pain in the lower back, thighs, or bottom of the leg
- Repeat 10 times before switching sides
- Now, stand facing the wall, again using hand support.
- Bring the leg closest to the wall and swing back out with the straight leg to feel a strong stretch in the back of the leg.
- Repeat 10 times on each side.
Fig 4 Draw
- Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, slowly start the toes of each leg, alternate sides.
- When you form a squat, your right toe will come up in a figure four running position, knee high, right foot in line with the left knee.
- This movement explodes over time with other leg cups
- Repeat five times on the right leg, then switch to the left leg to do five pull-ups.
Alex Dudley A strength and conditioning coach who has worked with the Special Olympics Powerlifting Team and is the development manager at Pliability.