What Kinds of Daily Exercises for Runners?

Running can be quite the strenuous exercise in and of itself, but if you want to improve your running performance, the best way to do so is through more exercise. Performing a variety of exercises for muscles such as those in your legs can help you enhance your speed, endurance and overall running performance. Ask your doctor before you start any fitness program to be sure you stay injury free.

  1. Lower-Body Exercises

    • Given the centrality of leg muscles to running performance, you stand to gain much from lower-body workouts. Research published in the December 2011 edition of the "Journal of Human Kinetics" indicates that squat strength is linked to speed, so performing squats can be beneficial for your running performance. Other daily exercises to consider for your lower body include leg curls, lunges, leg presses and calf raises.

    Core Exercises

    • Core exercises aren't just useful for getting a six-pack. Working the muscles of your core -- namely, your abdominals and obliques -- will help you maintain your form while running and assist in injury prevention by absorbing the force of ground impact. To strengthen your core muscles, consider performing exercises such as planks, weighed crunches and lying leg raises in your daily workouts.

    Upper-Body Exercises

    • You might not think that upper-body strength is important for runners. But performing upper-body exercises as part of your daily workouts is particularly important for sprinters. These muscles help you accelerate and can also assist you in maintaining proper form. Daily exercises to consider include pushups, pullups, barbell or cable rows and the bench press.

    Cardio Exercises

    • Cardiovascular fitness is the key to running performance, no matter what distances you're running. While running itself helps improve cardiovascular fitness, you may want to try other forms of exercise in your daily workouts, whether to provide some needed variety or due to time constraints. Using a rowing machine, stationary bike or upper-body ergometer can provide a cardio workout when you don't feel like running.