Exercises for trail runners to improve their stability – from wobble boards to lunges
- Stability is crucial for speed and to prevent injury, but it is often neglected from training programmes
Stability is one of the most important physical traits for trail runners as they traverse bumpy terrain. You need strong glutes, knees and ankles. But it’s more than just powerful big muscle groups, it’s important that the small stabilising muscles get a workout too and here’s a few exercises to add to your routine.
Wobble boards
Wobble boards are a great tool for many exercises. They are a small plank, on a half ball, that require immense balancing skills. For beginners, just try standing still on a wobble board for an extended period of time. Once you’ve mastered that, try with one leg. You can squat on a wobble board too.
Once you think you’ve mastered the balancing act, try a single leg Romanian dead lift. Hold a weight in one hand, and slowly lean forward. Bearing your weight on one leg, lift the other one up behind you until it is parallel to the ground and then return to the upright position.
Elastic band squat walks
Put a strong band around your legs, just above your knees. Bend your knees and drop your hips, but not too much, then begin to slowly walk forward in small steps. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart. You’ll have to resist the band each time you lift a foot to stop your legs snapping together. You can walk forwards, backwards or even sideways like a crab. This will strengthen your glutes and all the small stability muscles around your knees.