Logan Steele
Running is a whole-body workout, from your shoulders to your toes. It is a great way to build strong bones and strengthen muscles, as well as maintain a healthy weight. Running works your tendons and ligaments, which absorb some of the impact, helping to stabilise your body and prevent too much movement between bones. It also engages your core and the muscles in your hips, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. The degree of muscle engagement depends on your speed and terrain. For example, when running uphill, you activate the vastus muscles of your quadriceps more and your hamstrings less.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Core muscles | rectus abdominis, obliques, erector spinae, transverse abdominis, abs |
| Hip muscles | hip flexors, iliopsoas |
| Glutes | gluteus maximus, medius, minimus |
| Quadriceps | rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus muscles |
| Hamstrings | |
| Calves | gastrocnemius, soleus |
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What You'll Learn
Hip flexors and hamstrings
Running is a whole-body workout, but it primarily engages the core and lower body muscles. The hamstrings and hip flexors are among the most important muscles for running.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are a group of three muscles on the back of the thigh. They produce and control a portion of the force required for us to run. When the foot first hits the ground, the hamstring contracts to help pull us forward. At the end of the foot-on-ground part of the stride (the stance phase), it contracts further to pull our heel up into the swing-the-knee part of the stride. As the knee swings forward toward the next foot strike (the end of the swing phase), the hamstring works as it stretches to slow down the forward motion of the knee and pull the leg into the foot-strike position.
Research indicates that runners should aim to have equal quad and hamstring strength. Distance runners tend to have quadriceps muscles that are 30 to 40 percent stronger than their hamstrings. To improve this, runners should do exercises that imitate running while adding a resistance or overspeed element, such as steep hill bouncing or fast downhill running.
Hip flexors
The hip flexors are a group of muscles that allow bending at the hip and are essential for everyday movement. They are located at the front of the hips, right above the thighs, and connect the thighbone to the low back, hips, and groin. The hip flexors help with pelvic and spinal stabilization. While running, you use these muscles when you flex your knee and leg up toward your body, as well as when you move your legs forward.
To improve hip flexor strength, runners can incorporate high-volume form running drills, such as the A series, B series, or C series. Other exercises that can help include hanging and supine leg lifts, as well as ankle band resistance exercises.
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Quadriceps
Running naturally strengthens the quadriceps and adequately develops these muscles. Running uphill, in particular, activates the vastus muscles of your quadriceps more than running on a flat surface. Uphill running requires a mid- or forefoot strike, which puts more pressure on your calves and ankles but also makes it easier to push off the ground.
The quadriceps are part of the muscle group that includes the hamstrings, their opposing muscle group. The hamstrings are found on the back of the legs, and they keep the leg from overextending. They are essential for swinging the leg forward and backward. However, the hamstrings are often weaker in comparison to the quads, which can affect muscle balance at the hips and knees and potentially lead to injuries.
To maintain balance and prevent injuries, it is crucial to have strong hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings. Hip flexors, located at the front of the hips, help drive the body forward during running. They are also responsible for pelvic and spinal stabilization. The glutes provide strength, power, and stability around the hip and pelvis.
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Calf muscles
Running is a great way to strengthen and build your calf muscles. The calf muscle is actually made up of two muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. These muscles are responsible for plantar flexion, or pointing the toes away from the body, and they help to stabilize the ankle and knee joints during movement.
When you run, your calf muscles contract with each step to help propel you forward, and they also help to absorb the impact of your foot striking the ground. This constant contraction and relaxation of the muscle fibers is what leads to increased strength and definition in the calves over time.
The gastrocnemius is the larger, more superficial muscle of the calf, and it is responsible for the majority of the calf's visible shape. This muscle has two heads, medial and lateral, which originate above the knee joint on the femur bone and converge to insert below the knee on the calcaneus bone of the heel via the Achilles tendon. Due to its attachment to the knee joint, the gastrocnemius is active during both knee flexion and ankle plantar flexion.
The soleus is the smaller, deeper muscle of the calf, located beneath the gastrocnemius. It originates below the knee joint on the tibia and fibula bones and also inserts on the calcaneus via the Achilles tendon. The soleus is primarily active during ankle plantar flexion and helps to stabilize the ankle during movement.
To target the calf muscles effectively during your runs, incorporate a variety of terrain and exercises into your routine. Running uphill, for example, increases the load on your calf muscles and forces them to work harder to propel you upward. Similarly, including exercises such as calf raises or even jumping exercises like skipping or bounding can help to further isolate and strengthen the calf muscles.
In addition to strengthening the calf muscles, running also helps to improve their endurance. The constant, repetitive contractions of the calves during a sustained run help to increase their endurance capacity, allowing them to withstand fatigue for longer periods of time. This improved endurance translates to better performance in not only running but also in other physical activities that require sustained calf muscle contractions, such as cycling or swimming.
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Core muscles
Running is a full-body workout, but it primarily engages your core and lower-body muscles. Your core muscles are located in your torso and pelvis and connect your upper body to your lower body.
A strong core helps to maintain proper posture, balance, and form while running. It also helps to properly align your spine, pelvis, and lower body. Strong abdominal muscles help your body stay upright and reduce the shock impact on your back. A weak core may cause you to compensate with other muscles, which can lead to injury.
The rectus abdominis is a set of muscles that run along the centre of your abdomen. These muscles are important for keeping your posture erect and maintaining proper form during long-distance running, thereby preventing injuries. The intercostal muscles, found between the ribs, are also engaged during running as they aid in the heavy exhalation and inhalation that occurs.
The hip flexor muscles are located at the front of your hips, above your thighs, and connect your thighbone to your low back, hips, and groin. These muscles help with pelvic and spinal stabilization and are used when you flex your knee and leg towards your body, as well as when you move your legs forward. Maintaining strength and flexibility in your hip flexors is crucial for mobility and preventing injuries.
In addition to the core muscles mentioned above, running also engages the deeper core muscles, including the obliques, erector spinae, and transverse abdominis. These deep muscles play an important role in stabilizing your spine by transferring power between your swinging arms and legs.
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Glutes
Running is a full-body workout, but it primarily engages your core and
The gluteus maximus extends the hip when pushing off the ground, while the medius and minimus push your weight to the opposite side. On the way back down, the medius and minimus control the motion of the pelvis and prevent it from dropping.
Weak glutes can lead to injuries, as other muscles such as the hamstrings, hip flexors, or deep lateral rotators may overcompensate and become strained. To address weak glutes and prevent injuries, it is important to understand your lower body's range of motion and perform exercises that strengthen the glutes, such as the pelvic tilt exercise.
Additionally, maintaining a balance of strength between the glutes, hip flexors, and hamstrings is crucial to preventing overuse and strain in the front of the hip. This can be achieved through positions and exercises that work the glutes and hamstrings together.
Overall, strengthening the glutes through specific exercises and maintaining their health is essential for runners to improve performance, prevent injuries, and ensure proper form during running.
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Frequently asked questions
Running is a full-body workout, but the main muscles that benefit from running include the leg muscles, core muscles, and hip flexor muscles.
The glutes, hamstrings, calves, quads, and inner and outer thighs all benefit from running.
The rectus abdominis, obliques, erector spinae, and transverse abdominis are all core muscles that benefit from running.
The hip flexor muscles are located at the front of the hips and are used when you flex your knee and leg up towards your body. Running helps to strengthen these muscles, which are important for pelvic and spinal stabilization.
Yes, running is a great form of cardiovascular exercise that can help improve your overall health and fitness. It can also help to build strong bones and maintain a healthy weight.
