Strength Training for Runners

Jan Rowe put together a great class for us last night! I wanted to share with everyone what she put together:

Strength Training is a vital component of any quality exercise program and offers many positive effects, including improved sports performance and resistance to injury. Training all of the muscle groups is important. Core exercises are great because they utilize lots of different muscle groups, therefore creating more fitness gain. The BEST exercises for runners include:

*Squat
*Lunge
*Lateral Step-Up
*Push-Up
*Plank
*Side Plank
*Bird Dog

Implementing strength training into your Race Training Plan will help you build muscle and will protect your body from common 'runner's' injuries. Try to build up to at least 2-3 days per week of strength training, giving your muscles 48 hours of rest in between sessions.