6 Bodyweight Exercises Useful for Runners Performance

For runners to improve their performance, they need to do those exercises that targets the key muscles and also which improves their body balance. Runners who try only simple bodyweight exercise routines have found it highly beneficial as it increases the heart rate and keeps the body in the proper working condition.

It is the common belief about the runners that they are more likely to get an injury when they are good at running. This seems contradictory, but it is obvious that when you do motion again and again, then you will surely develop the strength and flexibility in your work. But somewhere in keeping up the balance, you mostly avoid some other muscles. And this is how, when your other muscles are avoided, you are more likely at the risk of having an injury, whether you talk about muscle strains, tendonitis or any other running problem.

This is the condition where you need a little workout in order to keep your body moving. These bodyweight exercises are specially listed in order to keep your every muscle moving and improve the performance of the runners. Have a look at these 6 bodyweight exercises useful for runners performance.

1. Planks:

   Planks are very effective bodyweight exercises for runners performance. Stand on your elbows and keep your feet slightly above the surface. In this posture, make sure that your body has been completely aligned. This is how you will feel the tightness in your abdominal muscles and your shoulders will be completely above your elbows. You should move it towards down and back, but don’t hold it for a long period if you are a beginner. Simply hold the position for one minute. After adding more time on your workout with this exercise, it will help you in building more strength. You can also try the single legged planks, mountain climber planks, supine planks or spider planks. You should repeat this exercise for 3 to 5 times.

   

2. Lower-Body Russian Twist:

   A very simple and easy bodyweight exercise is the lower-body Russian twist. To perform the exercise, lie on your back and pull your legs upward. Keep both your legs closed and move in a perpendicular to the floor such as your knees will make a 90 degree angle. Now don’t change this bending of the knees and hips and lower the left leg towards your body side such that your shoulders are touching the floor.

   Now lift it back to the initial point and repeat the same steps with the body’s right side. This is a simple bodyweight exercise useful for runners that is easy to repeat. Try to keep your legs straight and closed if you want to perform this step harder. Repeat the exercise for 10 to 12 times on both sides.

   

3. Scorpion:

   This exercise is the simple position in our list of 6 bodyweight exercises useful for runners. In order to do the exercise, make the push up posture, but keep your feet on some bench so that you will be able to maintain a good and proper balance. Now, raise the knee towards left shoulder as this will help you in the rotation of your hip.

   Simply try the touching of the right foot on the back of left shoulder now repeat the steps with one leg exercise for at least 30 seconds. Repeat the process as much as you can in order to get a fine and perfect body which can go a long way in improving the performance of runners.

   

4. Back Extensions:

   In order to do this bodyweight exercise, lay your face down on the stability ball, and keep your feet wide in order to attain the balance. Keep your elbows little bent and let your hands touch the ground to attain the balance. Now slowly lift up your torso and allow your hands to lift up the ground, but your elbows should be bent. Now keep your arms extended and hold them in the air for at least one or two seconds. Now, release the torso and the arm and come back to the straight position. Now, repeat the process for 10 to 12 times.

   

5. Kettlebell Squats

   Keep the Kettlebell with both hands in the middle of the chest. Stand in such a way that your hip width is less than the feet distance. Push your hips in the backward direction and lower your body in the squat. Do it until your thighs are in parallel position. Now, press Kettlebell into your hands over your head and return to the original position as you stand up.

   

6. Overhead Lunge:

   Take a dumbbell pair and hold it straightly above your shoulders. Keep your arms in a straight position and block your elbows. Now take a step in the forward direction with your left leg and keep your body a little lower such that your front knee is in the 90 degrees bending. Now, get back to the starting position and repeat the process with your second leg. Here is a tip to make this useful bodyweight exercise for runners simple. If you want to make it easy, then try to keep the dumbbells at the level of your shoulder. The recommended repetition of this step is actually only 6 to 8 times and it helps in the activation of the shoulders, quadriceps, shoulders and core muscles.