Why do soccer and running go so well together? Here's what experts say about how soccer makes runners faster.

  1. Soccer uses lateral movement, which develops quickness and overall athleticism. Side-to-side motion can counteract imbalances that develop from moving in only one direction.
     
  2. Sprinting in soccer requires muscles that fire quickly. Soccer players are conditioned for short bursts of speed, which is why Grant Fisher'Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
     
  3. It's fun. In Fisher's case, soccer keeps him from overracing. But for adults who have another sport to enjoy, it keeps them from obsessing over the ups and downs of running.
     

DRILLS

Mike Scannell, Fisher's running coach, recommends these drills for runners new to the experience.

  1. SKIPPING
  2. Running and the Beautiful Game.
  3. CARIOKA: A lateral movement drill, with one leg passing in front of the other, then behind it. Scannell's athletes exaggerate the lift of the leg as it crosses in front.

"Soccer players sprint every day; I try to do something that replicates that once or twice a week," Friedman says. "It has definitely helped to prolong my running life. My latest motto is, 'Let's go out and play.' "

this image is not available
Media Platforms Design Team
SPRINTS

Yaeil Averbuch, a professional women's soccer player, gave these workouts to her distance-runner dad, Paul Friedman.

  1. Run the sideline of a soccer field (120 yards). Walk the goal line over to the other sideline. Run again; repeat. Increase the pace on each running segment. Do 10 full laps or 20 sprints. Friedman builds up to 25 laps, about 5K of running.
     
  2. Sprint the sideline of a soccer field (120 yards). Turn around and run back to the start, at a slower pace, but still faster than a jog. Recover for 12 to 15 seconds; repeat. Build up to 10 repetitions. Averbuch does the sprint portion in 18 seconds. (Friedman, 55, guesses he does it in 20–22 seconds.) She returns in 30 seconds, rests for 12, then starts again on the 1-minute mark.
     
  3. All-out sprints that include 8 × 20 yards, 6 × 40 yards, 4 × 60 yards, 2 × 80 yards and 1 × 100 yards, walking back between each. Build up slowly to avoid injury.
     

RELATED: All About 75 Hard