Best Home Workout Exercises for Running

Is it effective to work out at home?

It certainly is. You don’t need to go to the gym to achieve effective results from your workouts. Bodyweight exercises are a fantastic starting point for everyone and trust me, with the right amount of intensity and duration you can really feel your body working hard. You can easily upgrade your home workouts by adding resistance bands, small weights or a medicine ball. Your imagination is your only limitation :-) In this article we’ve included lots of helpful video with lots of exercises, so… enjoy boosting your fitness!

How can I exercise easily at home?

All you need is a mat and… that’s it! Check out our tips and videos below for more inspiration. Exercising at home is easy, fun, and convenient. Usually I go to the gym, but sometimes when I don’t have enough time or want more privacy I do my workout at home.

How do I keep up my running fitness at home?

Keep it fun and short. There’s nothing worse than pushing yourself to do a 2-hour repetitive and boring workout. Nightmare! Sometimes I have only 20 minutes a day but that’s still okay. I like variety, so I include some jumps and single-leg exercises to increase the intensity. Also, I like to do my training barefoot to really engage muscles around my ankles and lower legs. And I always, always finish with 5 minutes of core at the end. It's fun!

Home Workout Tips / Home Workout Equipment

10 HOME WORKOUT TIPS FOR RUNNERS

1. Create a routine and schedule your time
2. Body weight is good enough
3. Keep it short
4. Keep a log of your progress
5. Maintain proper nutrition & hydration
6. Balance the muscles of the entire body
7. Switch off!
8. Remember to warm up & cool down
9. Don't push: have fun!
10. Create a space and buy the right equipment

1. Create a routine and schedule your time

We all know how our day can get busy. That’s why it's good to schedule your workout ahead of time, exactly like organising time for work, dinner or brushing your teeth. The best time to exercise is early morning: that’s when our testosterone level is at the highest level, which increases the muscle size and improves performance. Also, it’s going to energise you for the whole day ahead. Make sure you have a quick and light bite beforehand, so you have enough glucose to feed your muscles. I wouldn’t advise doing any vigorous exercises just before bedtime: you might find it hard to fall sleep afterwards.

2. Body weight is good enough

If you think that body weight exercises don’t make much difference – check out our videos below! You can add some jumps or single-leg exercises for more intensity. You can also perform your workout barefoot for higher muscle activation. Check out our Circuit Training for Runners too – it’s a great way to combine running with strengthening exercises.

In the video below are 3 simple ideas of how to dial up the intensity in your home workouts: no bands or weights needed.

If you liked the training in our video, here are more examples. Mix and match, repeat as often as you like (or can ;-) ) If you're not sure how to do any of the exercises, check out our previous videos below. Have fun!

Push Ups

Single Leg Exercises

3. Keep it short

Strength training should never go beyond 45 - 60 minutes. Keep your workouts short and often. It’s better to do 30mins 4 times a week than 1.5hrs twice a week. Sometimes I add a short workout after a run, like the glute exercise below (if I still have enough energy left). Instead of skipping a workout because we have only 15 minutes, let’s make the best out of it and do a core session. Trust me, you’re going to feel 15 minutes of strengthening your core… ;-)

Glute Exercises with Bands, for Runners

4. Keep a log of your progress

It’s good to set some goals with a reasonable timeframe as motivation. When I started working on my core muscles, I could hold the plank for only about 15 seconds. I kept track of the time and wrote it in my notebook. Every time I did a workout, I could hold it a few seconds longer and seeing my progress was an amazing way to keep me motivated. Now, I can hold the plank for more than 2 minutes without a problem. But of course, I needed systematic training to get here.

5. Maintain proper nutrition & hydration

Even if you’re going to train at home you still need to provide the right fuel for your body. Make sure that you drink plenty of water during the day. On hot days add some electrolytes or sprinkle your water with a bit of good quality salt. Before training it's good to have an energy-rich snack – it doesn’t need to be an energy bar, you can eat a piece of fruit instead.

6. Balance the muscles of the entire body

Try to cover the whole body within one week. You can do upper body one day and lower body on another day. If you train 3 times a week, divide your training to lower body, upper body and core. You can mix upper and lower body during one workout – that’s also fine! Just remember to mix and match. It will to keep your muscles balanced and your body aligned.

7. Switch off!

Think of the workout as time for yourself: your sacred space and time. Switch off notifications, close the doors, remove any distractions. Embrace it, love it and be proud of yourself for putting effort and time into doing something for yourself.

8. Remember to warm up & cool down

Before any workout it’s good to have a quick warm-up (even just 2 minutes) to prepare muscles and joints for the work. Also, a quick stretch afterwards will relax shortened muscles and reduce the risk of the soreness the next day.

HOME WORKOUT EQUIPMENT

Mats / Resistance Bands / Swiss Balls / Training Gloves / Weights / Foam Rollers & Massagers / Shop All Home Workout Equipment

Mats

A good mat can make your workout much more comfortable. It’s going to prevent your body from sliding around and provide cushioning. Choose the right amount of thickness – for lots of jumping, weights or a hard surface I suggest going for a thicker mat.

Resistance Bands

I love including resistance bands in my home workouts. It’s a great way to simply add resistance to your training and engage your muscles even more during exercise. Resistance bands are also great for mobility exercises and stretching.

Swiss Balls

Including a Swiss ball in your workout strengthens your core and activates more muscles involved in the movement thanks to its instability. And it’s so much fun!

Training Gloves

If you complain about sweaty hands during your workout, training gloves might work wonders for you. Amazing for weightlifting but also yoga & pilates.

Weights

Adding weights to your workout challenges your body more by creating extra resistance. They don’t need to be very heavy for you to feel a difference, especially for your upper body muscles. 1-2 kg weights can really enhance your shoulder strength.

Foam Rollers & Massagers

A foam roller is an absolute MUST for every runner. Using a foam roller on a regular basis is going to help prevent injuries and release the pain and tension in the muscles. It’s like a sports massage but instead of paying a professional, you’re using your body weight against the floor to do it yourself. It’s also a great tool for many workouts – check them below for inspiration. Our newest addition to our range is a massage gun – a device widely used by professional physios to target tight muscles. Now, available also for your home!

These are exercises that we've found very useful and want to share with our customers. But we're not certified instructors. Always consult your specialist before beginning any exercise programme. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional. Consult with your healthcare professional to design an appropriate exercise prescription. If you experience any pain or difficulty with these exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider.