MARATHON must-dos

FIVE STRENGTH BUILDING FUNCTIONAL EXERCISES FOR EVERY RUNNER TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND AVOID INJURIES

Fitness is the fine balance between the body and mind. An encouraging trend being observed now is that a larger chunk of people are aiming towards getting fit to look and feel good. The most convenient and easy first step is running. We have a lot of marathons being organised in India these days, additionally we have a great number of participants that are willing to take the plunge and run.

While we boost their confidence and cheer them to be a part of such marathons, it is imperative that we take note of some easy workouts that people should indulge in before running marathons. One needs to make the body more comfortable before participating in such marathons. Being a runner for a long time, as an ultra endurance cyclist, I have understood the importance of keeping the body fit and active at all times and not only during such marathons or competitions.

Sure, the annual marathon will present itself only next year, but ideal training for the long-distance running race means prepping up a year in advance. The workout I designed is aimed at targeting the primary muscle group to help improve your stride. It complements running exercises with strength-building ones and also informs one about how to go about the routine while avoiding injuries. Incidentally, I also completed the Ironman triathlon at Zurich last year.

Running primarily needs strong quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Your core also needs to be strong to transfer power from your upper to your lower body and to keep good form for the duration of the run. There are many training plans and routines that require little or no equipment. Try the following exercises as your base before moving to more isolated movements as you progress. The author is an Ultra Endurance Cyclist and Co-founder of a fitness academy