Strength and Balance Training for Runners: Actionable Exercises You Need
Essential Points:
Strength and Balance: The Missing Link for Runners: Incorporating strength and balance exercises improves running efficiency, reduces injury risk, and builds stability for navigating dynamic movements and uneven terrain.
Actionable Exercises to Transform Your Training: Combine single-leg balance drills, compound strength moves like Bulgarian split squats, and plyometric exercises such as skater hops to develop stability, power, and endurance essential for running.
How to Seamlessly Integrate Into Your Routine: Train 2–3 times per week with a mix of warm-ups, focused sessions, and dynamic drills. Track your progress by monitoring balance duration, weight lifted, and improved performance during runs.
Workout Summary PDF available to take the workouts with you on the go.
Articles in this Two-Part Series
How Strength and Balance Training Can Improve Your Running Performance
Strength and Balance Training for Runners: Actionable Exercises You Need
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Welcome to part two of the running series on Science of Falling! If you’re looking to run stronger, faster, and injury-free, you’re in the right place. Last time, we explored how strength and balance are essential for running performance, acting as the hidden gears that keep you efficient and resilient. In this article, we’ll move from theory to action, diving into practical exercises that will transform the way you train and run. Want a quick-reference guide to these exercises? Download our Strength and Balance for Runners: Workout Cheat Sheet for free below! It's a printable summary to keep you on track and injury-free!
Now, are you ready to take your stride to the next level? Let’s get started.
Balance Exercises for Runners
Running is a dynamic movement that requires your body to stabilize on one leg with each stride. Poor balance can lead to inefficiencies, wasted energy, and an increased risk of injury.
Balance training enhances proprioception (your ability to sense body position and movement) and neuromuscular coordination, helping you navigate uneven terrain, quick turns, or unexpected obstacles. It also activates smaller stabilizing muscles often underutilized in traditional strength training.
The following balance exercises are ideal as a warm-up, cool-down, or part of a focused balance workout. If doing a balance-specific session, limit it to 20 minutes to maximize benefits without diminishing your running performance, or investing excessive amounts of time.
Key Balance Exercises Include:
Single Leg Kettlebell Hip Flexion
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Hip Airplane
Single Leg Squat
Single Leg Calf Raise
Lunge to Single Leg Hip Flexion
Balance Exercise Tutorials:
Single Leg Kettlebell Hip Flexion
Purpose:
Builds hip flexor strength, balance, and coordination, while engaging the core.
Key Benefits:
Improves dynamic balance.
Strengthens hip flexors and stabilizing muscles.
Prepares for single-leg athletic movements.
How to Perform:
Start standing tall with one foot in the handle of a kettlebell, while the other is planted firmly in the ground.
Shift your weight onto your planted leg and lift the kettlebell with the opposite leg to hip height, keeping your thigh parallel to the ground. Ensure you hold kettlebell by keeping foot and toes flexed upwards.
Hold the position for 1-2 seconds, maintaining a tall posture and stable core.
Lower the kettlebell back to the ground and repeat for 8-10 reps.
Switch sides and repeat.
Additional Tips:
Keep your core engaged to prevent swaying or arching your back.
Start with a light kettlebell to focus on control before increasing weight.
Use a wall or support nearby if needed while building balance.
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Purpose:
Enhances single-leg stability, strengthens hamstrings, glutes, and core.
Key Benefits:
Develops posterior chain strength.
Improves dynamic balance and proprioception.
Supports injury prevention through better muscle control.
How to Perform:
Stand tall on one leg.
Hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight as your opposite leg extends backward up into the air.
Lower your hands to the ground, stopping when your torso is parallel to the floor, your hamstring feels fully stretched, and your hands are passed your knee.
Return to standing by squeezing your glute and engaging your core.
Repeat for 8-10 reps on each side.
Additional Tips:
Avoid rounding your lower back, maintain a neutral spine.
Increase the difficulty by holding weight. Keep the weight close to your standing leg for better balance and control.
Start without weights to focus on form.
Hip Airplane
Purpose:
Strengthens the glutes and hips, improves balance, and enhances control of rotational stability.
Key Benefits:
Develops hip mobility and rotational control.
Strengthens gluteal muscles and stabilizers.
Improves single-leg balance and overall body coordination.
How to Perform:
Begin standing on one leg, with your supporting knee slightly bent and your core engaged.
Hinge forward at the hips, extending your non-supporting leg straight behind you until your torso and lifted leg are parallel to the floor. Your arms can extend out to the sides for balance.
Slowly rotate your torso to the side of the supporting leg, opening your hips. Hold this position briefly.
Return to the starting position, then rotate your torso toward the opposite side, closing your hips.
Repeat the opening and closing motion for 8-10 reps per side.
Additional Tips:
Keep your movements slow and controlled to avoid losing balance.
Focus on engaging your glutes and stabilizing through your foot and ankle.
If balance is difficult, use a wall or chair for light support until you build stability.
Single Leg Squat
Purpose:
Strengthens quadriceps, glutes, and stabilizing muscles, while enhancing balance and control.
Key Benefits:
Builds single-leg strength and stability.
Improves knee and ankle joint function.
Prepares for functional movements like running or jumping.
How to Perform:
Stand on one of you legs, keeping your core tight and your arms extended forward for balance. Have the other leg floating in the air with the heel at least 6 inches from the ground
Slowly lower your body by bending your knee, keeping your weight centered over your midfoot. Focus on keeping your knee aligned with your second toe.
Aim to lower as far as you can without losing control or balance.
Push through your foot to return to the starting position.
Perform 8-10 reps per side.
Additional Tips:
Keep your knee tracking over your second toe and avoid it collapsing inward.
Use a chair or TRX strap for support if needed.
Focus on depth gradually as your strength and control improve.
Single Leg Calf Raise
Purpose:
Strengthens calf muscles and improves ankle stability.
Key Benefits:
Enhances ankle proprioception and control.
Builds lower leg strength for better push-off in walking or running.
Helps prevent ankle injuries.
How to Perform:
Stand on one leg with your other foot off the ground.
Push through the ball of your stance foot, lifting your heel as high as possible.
Pause at the top for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower your heel back down.
Perform 10-15 reps per side.
Additional Tips:
Use a wall or chair for balance if necessary.
Focus on controlled movements, avoid bouncing.
For added difficulty, hold a dumbbell in one hand.
Lunge to Single Leg Hip Flexion
Purpose:
Combines dynamic movement with balance, promoting coordination and functional strength.
Key Benefits:
Improves dynamic stability and proprioception.
Builds strength in the legs, glutes, and core.
Enhances coordination in transitions between movements.
How to Perform:
Step one leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
Push off your back leg to return to standing, and immediately lift your moving knee to hip height.
Hold the hip flexion position for 2-3 seconds before stepping back into the lunge.
Perform 8-10 reps per side.
Additional Tips:
Keep your chest upright during the lunge and hip flexion.
Focus on smooth transitions to avoid wobbling.
Gradually increase speed as you become more confident.
Tips for Success in Balance Exercises
Focus on form, not speed: Rushing through movements can mask imbalances and hinder progress. Prioritize control and stability.
Start with basics: Master foundational balance before progressing to more complex exercises. If you're struggling, regress and aim for 60 seconds of single-leg balance per leg before progressing.
Use external support: Utilize a counter or chair to decrease difficulty as you build strength and confidence.
Be consistent: Incorporate balance training into your routine daily. Just 10 minutes during warm-ups or cool-downs can lead to significant improvements.
Strengthening Key Muscles for Running
When it comes to running mechanics, certain muscles do the heavy lifting. The glutes drive hip stability and propulsion, the quads stabilize the knee and absorb impacts, the hamstrings power forward motion, the calves handle force absorption and energy return, and the core keeps everything aligned. Strong, balanced muscles in these areas are crucial for efficient, injury-free running.
When strengthening the body for a sport like running, I recommend utilizing compound movements (exercises that work more than one joint at a time) in order to hit as many muscles at once as possible. Our goal is to stimulate strength increases while limiting excessive fatigue that can be a detriment to running performance while training. Efficiency is key here.
As a caveat, I do recommend targeting weak areas that tend to breakdown on you later in a run. This would be the only time I’d say isolate a muscle group. For example, I tend to have my hamstrings and calves give out around mile 20 of a marathon. Because of this I target heavy seated calf raises and seated hamstring curls in addition to my typical compound movements. This allows me to build resilience in areas I others am lacking in. This may be different than you of course, so if needed, add a few isolation sets to a weak muscle group at the end of a session.
Key Strength Exercises Include:
Bulgarian Split Squats
Romanian Deadlifts
Squats
Front Plank
Side Plank
Single Leg Bridge
Strength Exercise Tutorials:
Bulgarian Split Squats
Purpose:
Builds unilateral leg strength, balance, and stability, while targeting the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
Key Benefits:
Improves single-leg strength and balance.
Enhances hip mobility and flexibility.
Strengthens stabilizing muscles for better functional movement.
How to Perform:
Stand about 2-3 feet in front of a bench or elevated surface with your back to it.
Place the top of one foot on the bench while keeping your other foot firmly planted on the ground.
Lower your body by bending your front knee, ensuring your torso stays upright as you squat downwards.
Stop when your front thigh is parallel to the ground or lower if mobility allows.
Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
Perform 8-10 reps per leg.
Additional Tips:
Keep your core engaged to maintain balance.
Adjust your distance from the bench to find the most comfortable range of motion.
Start with bodyweight and add dumbbells as you progress.
Holding a dumbbell in each hand has less balance demand, while holding a dumbbell on only one side will increase balance demand.
Romanian Deadlifts
Purpose:
Strengthens the posterior chain, including hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, while improving hip hinge mechanics.
Key Benefits:
Builds strength in the hamstrings and glutes.
Improves hip mobility and flexibility.
Supports lower back health and posture.
How to Perform:
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs.
Hinge at the hips, lowering the weight down the front of your legs while keeping your back straight and shoulders retracted.
Stop when you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings or when the weight reaches mid-shin level.
Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to standing by pushing your hips forward.
Perform 8-10 reps with controlled movement.
Additional Tips:
Avoid rounding your lower back, maintain a neutral spine throughout.
Keep the weight close to your legs to prevent strain on your lower back.
Focus on slow, controlled movements to maximize hamstring engagement.
Squats
Purpose:
A foundational movement that builds strength in the legs, glutes, and core, while promoting overall mobility.
Key Benefits:
Strengthens quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core.
Improves hip and ankle mobility.
Supports functional movement patterns.
How to Perform:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
Engage your core and keep your chest lifted as you lower your hips back and down, as if sitting into a chair.
Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower if mobility allows.
Push through your heels to return to standing.
Perform 8-10 reps.
Additional Tips:
Avoid letting your knees collapse inward, keep them tracking over your toes.
Start with bodyweight squats before adding a barbell or dumbbells.
Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement.
Front Plank
Purpose:
Strengthens the core, shoulders, and stabilizing muscles, while improving posture and spinal alignment.
Key Benefits:
Builds core stability and endurance.
Enhances posture and spinal health.
Engages multiple muscle groups for total-body strength.
How to Perform:
Start in a forearm plank position with elbows directly under your shoulders and forearms parallel.
Extend your legs straight back, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels.
Engage your core and glutes to prevent your hips from sagging or rising.
Hold the position for 30-60 seconds, focusing on controlled breathing.
Additional Tips:
Keep your neck neutral by looking slightly ahead of your hands.
If holding a full plank is difficult, modify by dropping your knees to the ground.
Gradually increase hold times as your core strength improves.
Side Plank
Purpose:
Targets the obliques, core stabilizers, and hip abductors, while promoting lateral stability.
Key Benefits:
Strengthens obliques and core muscles.
Improves balance and stability.
Enhances shoulder and hip endurance.
How to Perform:
Lie on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs extended.
Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from head to heels.
Hold the position for 30-60 seconds per side, keeping your core and glutes engaged.
Lower your hips back to the ground and switch sides.
Additional Tips:
Keep your hips stacked and avoid twisting your torso.
Modify by keeping your bottom knee bent on the ground.
To progress, raise your top leg or arm for added difficulty.
Single Leg Bridge
Purpose:
Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, and core while promoting single-leg stability.
Key Benefits:
Builds glute and hamstring strength.
Improves pelvic stability and core control.
Reduces risk of lower back pain by strengthening posterior muscles.
How to Perform:
Lie on your back with one knee bent with the foot on the ground, the other leg lifted and extended outwards, and arms at your sides.
Push through your bent leg to lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your bent knee.
Pause at the top for 1-2 seconds, then lower your hips back down.
Perform 8-10 reps per side.
Additional Tips:
Avoid arching your lower back, engage your core to keep your pelvis stable.
Start with a standard two foot glute bridge if this variation is too challenging.
Focus on squeezing your glute at the top for maximum engagement.
Tips For Success in Strength Exercises
Focus on Form: Proper alignment is key to maximizing strength gains and avoiding compensatory movements. For example, ensure your knees track over your toes during squats and lunges, and avoid overarching your lower back during core exercises. Quality over quantity is the mantra here.
Push Limits Slightly: You get stronger when you push past your limits. But, your main goal is to spur on muscle growth and strength increases. To do this you only have to reach slightly outside of your comfort zone in weight, reps, or range of motion. Your body will get the signal and grow if you follow this tip. Don’t feel you have to demolish your muscles completely to improve. Give the muscles just enough stress to adapt, and you will improve without ruining your ability to recover effectively.
Rotate exercises: Lifting heavy weight is hard on the body. Make sure to keep a few exercises in rotation to slowly build up strength in each one, while also limiting the stressors on joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. This will allow you to improve while also limiting injury.
Plyometric Based Strength and Balance Integration
Static strength and balance exercises lay the foundation, but running is a dynamic sport. You are moving in space with various obstacles in your way and must adapt and demonstrate control for potentially hours on end. To transfer these gains into real-world performance, you need exercises that mimic the mechanics of running, focusing on coordination, stability, and explosive power in various directions. This is where plyometrics with asymmetric landings come into play.
Key Plyometric Based Exercises:
Skater hops
Jump Squat to Single Leg Landing
Lunge Jumps
Plyometric Based Exercise Tutorials:
Skater Hops
Purpose:
Develops lateral power, agility, and stability, while enhancing single-leg strength and coordination.
Key Benefits:
Improves lateral movement and explosiveness.
Builds single-leg stability and balance.
Enhances agility for dynamic sports and activities.
How to Perform:
Start in a slight squat position, with your feet hip-width apart and core engaged.
Push off your right foot and jump laterally to the left, landing softly on your left foot with your right leg slightly behind you for balance.
Immediately push off your left foot and jump back to the right, landing softly on your right foot.
Repeat for 8-10 hops per side, keeping your movements controlled.
Additional Tips:
Focus on a soft landing to minimize joint impact and maintain balance.
Swing your arms naturally for momentum and stability.
Increase the distance of your hops as your strength and balance improve.
Jump Squat to Single Leg Landing
Purpose:
Builds explosive power, dynamic balance, and single-leg stability in a controlled plyometric format.
Key Benefits:
Enhances lower-body power and vertical jump ability.
Improves landing mechanics and single-leg control.
Develops coordination and joint stability.
How to Perform:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at your sides.
Lower into a squat position and explode upward into a jump.
As you descend, prepare to land softly on one foot, keeping your knee slightly bent and your hips level.
Pause briefly to stabilize, then reset and repeat, alternating landing legs each time.
Perform 8-10 reps per leg.
Additional Tips:
Focus on sticking the single-leg landing with control, rather than rushing to reset.
Engage your core to prevent your body from wobbling during the landing phase.
Start with small jumps and gradually increase height as you gain confidence.
Lunge Jumps
Purpose:
Builds explosive power, dynamic coordination, and lower-body endurance, while challenging balance and stability.
Key Benefits:
Improves plyometric strength and agility.
Enhances coordination and balance during dynamic movements.
Builds muscular endurance in the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
How to Perform:
Start in a lunge position with one foot forward and one foot back, knees bent at 90 degrees.
Explode upward, switching legs mid-air so that you land in a lunge position with your opposite foot positioning.
Absorb the landing by bending both knees into the lunge position.
Repeat for 8-10 total jumps (4-5 per leg).
Additional Tips:
Focus on soft, controlled landings to reduce joint impact.
Keep your chest upright and core engaged throughout.
If necessary, start with alternating reverse lunges before progressing to jumps.
Tips For Success in Plyometrics
Start Slow: Begin with slow, controlled movements to establish a foundation, then increase speed, resistance, or complexity as you master variations
Increase Challenge as Needed: The goal of these exercises is to better integrate your strength and balance for performance while running. Vary the surface you perform these on to create similar demands to your running. For example, if you are mainly a trail runner, try plyos on grass or dirt. If you are a track runner, try them on the track or similarly flat surface. Additionally, add in intentional turns to your landings to mimic non-ideal landings, or turns that you may experience during a run.
Form is Still Key: Even though you are adding quick explosive movements to the mix, don’t forget good form and control. You should be landing each variation with max stability. Pay attention to if you lose your balance, or if your knees tend to wobble or cave excessively. This can signify a loss of control and stability. Slow the movement down and focus on achieving good control at least 75% of the time.
Programming Balance and Strength Into Your Weekly Workout Plan
Frequency
To achieve optimal results, incorporate these strength and balance exercises 2–3 times per week. Adjust based on your running volume to avoid overtraining. Here’s how you can schedule these sessions:
Perform them on non-running days for a focused session.
Add them to lighter running days to complement your training without overloading.
Intensity & Progression
Start with bodyweight exercises to establish control and proper form. As you improve:
Increase Resistance: Gradually add weights or resistance bands.
Recommendation: Powerblocks are an excellent choice for their versatility and durability. Alternatively, resistance bands can work well for a more affordable option, but you may need creativity to achieve enough resistance.
Increase Repetitions: Progressively add reps or sets, aiming for 5-15 reps per set for most exercises. Occasionally, incorporate high-rep sets (15-20+) for variety and endurance.
Increase Complexity: Advance to single-leg or dynamic variations for added challenge. Experiment with variations to suit your fitness level.
Integration Into Your Training Routine
Blend these exercises seamlessly into your program:
Use them as activation drills during your warm-up to prepare your body for running.
Dedicate 2–3 standalone sessions weekly for focused strength and balance training.
Incorporate dynamic drills like skater hops into running workouts to mimic race-day demands.
Tracking Progress
Tracking progress is crucial for staying motivated and seeing tangible improvements. Monitor:
How long you can hold a single-leg balance (e.g., 30 seconds longer).
Increases in weight lifted for exercises like Bulgarian split squats (e.g., 10–20% more).
Improvements in control and distance with skater hops.
Set realistic goals based on your current abilities. Remember, these exercises are a means to improve your running performance, so let your running times and overall feeling during runs guide your progress.
Sample Workouts
Below are three sample workouts designed to balance strength, balance, and plyometrics. Each workout includes a warm-up, two balance exercises, two strength exercises, and one plyometric drill to finish strong. Feel free to modify these sessions to fit your preferences.
Workout 1
Warm-Up:
10 minutes cross-training cardio (rower, stair climber, or bike).
Exercises:
Single Leg Kettlebell Hip Flexion – 3 x 10 reps each side.
Hip Airplane – 3 x 10 reps each side.
Squats (dumbbell, barbell, or bodyweight) – 3 x 10 reps.
Front Plank – 4 x 30–60 seconds.
Skater Hops – 3 x 5–8 reps each side.
Workout 2
Warm-Up:
10 minutes cross-training cardio (rower, stair climber, or bike).
Exercises:
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (Bodyweight) – 3 x 10 reps each side.
Single Leg Squat – 3 x 10 reps each side to a comfortable depth.
Romanian Deadlift (dumbbell or barbell) – 3 x 10 reps.
Side Plank – 4 x 30–60 seconds per side.
Jump Squat to Single-Leg Landing – 3 x 5–8 reps each side.
Workout 3
Warm-Up:
10 minutes cross-training cardio (rower, stair climber, or bike).
Exercises:
Single Leg Calf Raise (Bodyweight) – 3 x 10 reps each side.
Lunge to Single Leg Hip Flexion (Bodyweight) – 3 x 10 reps each side.
Bulgarian Split Squat (dumbbell) – 3 x 10 reps each side.
Single Leg Bridge Hold – 4 x 30–60 seconds.
Lunge Jumps Alternating Landing – 3 x 5–8 reps per side.
Tips for Success
Prioritize form over speed. Rushing can mask imbalances and defeat the purpose of balance training. Focus on control and stability.
Start with basic movements and progress gradually. For example, ensure you can hold a single-leg balance for at least 60 seconds before advancing to more complex exercises.
Use external support (e.g., chair or counter) if needed to modify exercises and build confidence.
Consistency is key. Just 10 minutes a day during warm-ups or cool-downs can yield significant improvements in balance and stability.
By incorporating these workouts into your training, you’ll build the strength, balance, and stability needed to improve your running performance and reduce injury risk.
Final Thoughts: Turbocharge Your Running Ability By Filling in The Gaps
Your running potential lies in your hands, or rather, your muscles and balance systems. Take up the challenge and commit to these exercises consistently for a few weeks. Pay attention to improvements in your stride, stability, and energy efficiency. Small changes today can lead to significant strides in your running performance.
The truth is very few runners integrate balance and strength training into their routines, and this is to your advantage. If you start doing what others won’t, you are sure to start flying past them on the road or the course. Incorporate these workouts today and I guarantee your next race will be one to remember!
If you haven’t already, revisit the foundational principles discussed in the first article of this two-part series to deepen your understanding of why strength and balance are critical for running. Happy running!
