Why Do I Need To Be Strong To Run?

I know that we have a lot of clients who do recreational activities, whether that is running, or hiking both need strength.  It is often quoted that one of the riskiest forms of exercise, from an injury standpoint, is recreational running. The question then is why?  Why is it something that seems so simple to start has such a high risk of injury? By simple I just mean doesn’t take any specialized equipment, anyone who can walk could conceivably wake up on Saturday morning and go for a run if they wanted to.  The other notion that is not fully understood when it comes to running is that you need to be strong, a.k.a you need to strength train.

Why though?  Most of the time when it comes to running people think that the worst thing they can do is strength train because it seems to be the complete opposite of running.  That however is a misconception, the answer to why can be found in physics. Most people have probably heard the phrase “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” what does that mean?  It means that every time force is exerted on an object, that object exerts that force back. For example when running, every time your foot hits the ground, the ground hits back. In the example of plyometric exercise, which is a category running falls under, 2 to 3x as much force is exerted back up your legs.  For some prospective, that means in order to be able to take that pounding most sources suggest that you should be able to squat 1.5 to 2x your body-weight at least, before you start running. This is one of many reasons why when it comes to running strength training is SOOOOOO important.

-Coach Adam