It's one of the simplest exercises, and yet it comes with a whole host of benefits. Squats are great for building strength in the key running muscles, improving flexibility in the joints and even building core strength. Plus, once you've mastered the simple squat, you can progress it by adding weight or resistance bands, How to do donkey kicks.
Why are squats so good for runners?
'Besides just strengthening the major muscle groups used while running and giving you more resilient joints, squatting boasts a bunch of other benefits as well,' explains Graeme Woodward, a UK Athletics Level 3 performance coach, UKSCA accredited strengthn and conditioning coach and We Run best glute stretches for runners.
'A proper squat with correct form requires a certain amount of flexibility. That flexibility will provide a more efficient and economical stride. And while squats work the major glute and leg muscles, they are also an incredible core exercise.' Woodward recommends adding some weight if you find that squats become easy. To do so, you can hold a kettlebell Resting heart rate.
'A weighted, heavy squat requires more abdominal bracing than a plank,' explains Woodward. 'And that trunk stability is vital to performance, injury prevention and improving a runner's economy. And because squats are a compound, full-body exercise, they prompt a big release of beneficial hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone. These are critical for the recovery process.'
How to squat correctly
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes slightly turned out. Keep your back straight, your chest open and your head up.
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- Send your hips back, as if you are about to sit down in a chair behind you. Bend your knees as low down as possible – aiming to get your thighs parallel with the floor – but make sure you keep your chest up.
- Press through your heels to return to standing. Repeat.
Squat variations to try
Half squat
Why: A 2008 study found that half squats can help to improve your running economy and time to exhaustion.
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Sit your bum back and bend at the knees. Keep your chest up as you lower down until your legs form 45-degree angles. Push through both feet to stand back up.
Split squat
Why: Health & Injuries.
How: With your feet hip-width apart, step your right foot forward. Keep right foot flat on ground while your left foot is up on the ball of your foot. Lower your left knee until it hovers just above floor, squeeze your glutes and return to the starting position.
Banded squats
Why: Weak hip abductor muscles can cause knees to cave inward during squats, so keeping the tension in a resistance band counteracts this.
How: Place a strong resistance band just above your knee. Separate your legs to be just wider than your shoulder. Perform a squat while maintaining constant tension in the band. Lower until your thighs are parallel with floor, then return to the starting position.
