Running Drills
These are a few of my fav exercises or drills I like to do before I do a running session. They are deigned to get the body moving and activating and also for me personally to get the old brain functioning and connecting to my feet. I’m not a coordinated individual that’s why I don’t play any sport that requires it , I find running in a straight line is complicated enough some days!
Few hot tips for the exercises below
- Always do opposite arm and leg when doing drills, I highly suggest this when running also 😉
- Do them for 10-20 m in length
- Do a few of each of them.
- Have fun
High knee walk
- Super simple one to start
- Chest up
- Head up
- make sure you are bringing your heel straight up to your bum
- don’t let the heel come too far in front this can translate to the foot landing in front of you when you are running
- arms are rigid and the go in the same rhythm as the legs
- keep your toes pointed up (In a dorsi flexed position) *no twinkle toes
Ankle runs
- make little fast circles with your feet around the opposite ankle joint
- keep your toes up
- don’t forget to use your arms
- if you are doing this one properly you won’t move to far forward
Calf runs
- same as above however you make circles around your calf
- still making sure your heel is aiming towards your bum not out in front
- toes up
- chest up, head up and use your arms
High knee run
- same as above however you are now circling around your knee
- keep your toes up
- try not to lean backwards
- pump those arms
- this is a harder one
Lunge with rotation
- this one aims to get your hip flexors stretched and open
- Make sure when you lunge forward to contract and squeeze your glutes (bum muscle) on the leg that is at the back this should give you a deeper hip flexor stretch.
- If this hurts your front knee make sure the knee isn’t gliding too far forward over the toe.
- Make sure the rotation of your upper body is controlled and not too fast.
- For a deeper opening of the thoracic spine (middle back) when you have rotated take a big breathe in and out then return upright before going to the next side.
Hamstring scoops
- As the name suggests this is one for the hamstrings (muscles are the back of your thigh below your bum)
- Make sure to point your toe up to the sky, this will deepen the stretch of those posterior leg muscles.
- Also keep this one controlled too it may hurt your lower back if you do it too fast or too bouncy.
- Try and poke your bottom out and minimize touching off the lower back for more of a hamstring stretch and less of a back stretch.
Now you have my fav drills, get out there and give them a go.
Good luck
Move well, move often
L-J