21 essential running prehab moves

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Dynamic stretching is now favoured as part of a warm-up, but static stretching is still relevant. Static stretching places the muscle under tension and holds the position; dynamic stretching increases the range of movement through repetition.

Place one foot against the wall so your toes are just above the height of a skirting board, your heel a few centimetres away from the wall and your foot bent at approximately a 45-degree angle to the floor.

Use your back foot to push gently forwards, bringing your front knee towards the wall. Hold for 45 seconds, switch legs and repeat.

STRENGTH: 4 MINS

This strengthens the core muscles by incorporating three exercises: the plank, glute activation and shoulder stabilisation.

Lie on your front and bend one knee to 90 degrees. Imagine there is a tray of glasses on the sole of your raised foot – hold it steady, being careful not to change the bend in the knee. Now lift the leg upward using only your glute to power it. Slowly lower back to the starting position, and repeat five times with a bent knee and once with a straight leg. That’s a set; complete five on each leg. As you progress, make this harder by starting in the plank position.

STRENGTH: 2 MINS

Standing on one leg and with your standing knee over the middle toe of the same foot, lower down as far as you can without your knee moving into the midline. As soon as you see the knee wandering over towards the big-toe side, stop and come back up – don’t try a deeper squat until you can control this medial movement.

Start with 10 reps on each leg, then alternate first adding reps, then increasing the depth of the squat in the weeks that follow. This way you increase the difficulty of only one aspect at a time. You’ll soon be able to hold your knee plumb straight and get your knee bend beyond 90 degrees.

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Place your right foot behind your left leg and out to the left side. Bring your right arm up over your head and side-bend towards your protruding right foot. Push your hip into the stretch, hold for 30-40 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Lunge to the side, bending your leading leg and keeping the trailing leg straight and your pelvis level. Slowly increase the bend in the lead leg until you reach a comfortable stretch on the inner side of the trailing leg. Hold for 45 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

STRENGTH: 3 MINS

Stand on your tiptoes on the edge of a step, then slowly lower your heel as far as possible.

Raise back up to the start position in one smooth movement. Repeat for 3 x 15 reps.

STRENGTH: 2 MINS

This strengthens the arch of the foot and offers a neuromuscular benefit by stimulating the nerves for improved all-round function.

Lay a towel out on the floor in front of your chair and place your toes onto it, with your heel flat on the floor.

By raising and lowering your forefoot, grab the towel with your toes on every downward movement and scrunch it towards you. Alternate feet and repeat for two minutes.

STRENGTH: 4 MINS

This exercise activates an impressive cast of muscles: quads, glutes, abductors, adductors, calf, peroneal and core muscles.

Place an exercise band around your thighs, just tight enough so that it stretches when you bend your knees into a squat.

Each rep contains three parts: squat, side step and return to standing.

Repeat this for the length of your available space in a room, or for 10 reps each direction x 3.

STRENGTH: 4 MINS

This eccentric-muscle contraction exercise requires slow, controlled movements, lowering over approximately six seconds and lifting back up at a controlled pace (one or two seconds).

Stand on one leg with your standing leg slightly bent, then slowly bend forward, keeping your non-standing leg straight out behind you. Lower your hands towards the floor to feel a stretch in your hamstring, then slowly to return to standing. Alternate legs for a total of 15 reps each side. Progress to using a dumbbell.

STRENGTH: 3 MINS

This simple exercise helps build strength in the muscles at the front of the lower leg.

Stand with your back to a wall and take a short step away with each foot.

Keeping your heels in contact with the floor, raise your toes up as far as you can then slowly lower back towards the floor, stopping before your toes touch down. Do 4 x 25 reps.

STRENGTH: 4 MINS

This exercise delivers hip abduction/rotation.

Lying on your side, bend your knees so the soles of your feet are in line with your spine.

Slowly lift your top knee up in an arc away from the other knee. Hold for three seconds, then return slowly to resting. Repeat for 3 x 15 reps on each side.

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Lie on your back and take hold of your right knee with your right hand. With your left hand, grab your right ankle with an underhand grip. Pull both towards you to feel a stretch in the glutes. Hold for 45-60 seconds, swap legs and repeat.

FLEXIBILITY: 1 MIN

Place your knee on top of a foam roller with your toes pointing back.

Gradually increase the stretch by lowering your hips to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.

STRENGTH: 4 MINS

Tie a loop in an exercise band and place it over your foot. Hook the remaining length of the band around the other foot and pull the free end towards you.

Twist the outside edge of your foot out to the side against the resistance of the exercise band. Don’t rotate around the ankle. The big toe of your twisting foot should remain roughly in line with the shinbone, with little or no lateral rotation of the foot. Push out against the band for 3 x 15 reps, returning to the resting position at the end of each rep.

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Stand in a forward-lunge position, knee on a cushion if you find that more comfortable. Keeping your torso upright, tuck your glutes under your pelvis.

Slowly bend your front knee so the stretch on the front of your hip increases.

Hold at a comfortable stretch for 45 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

STRENGTH: 3 MINS

This strength exercise can reduce overpronation and the risk of shin splints.

Start with your toes pointing out, then raise your heels.

When close to the top of your calf raise, rotate your heels in towards each other before slowly lowering them back down to the flat again. Repeat for 3 x 25 reps.

STRENGTH: 3 MINS

Lie on your back, legs at 90 degrees. Place your fingertips on the bony points at the front of your pelvis, then move your fingers in and down 2cm so you are pushing down on your transverse abdominis (TA) muscle. Check you are in the right place by coughing: you should feel the muscle ‘bounce’ under your fingers.

Now imagine you are urinating and want to stop the flow – you should feel a tightening of the TA. Hold that tension, draw in your belly button and slightly flatten your lower back towards the floor. Hold all three of these positions together and you are tensing your core muscles.

Alternate lifting each foot off the floor slightly, maintaining tension in both sides of your TA. Build to 25 on each leg.

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Using a straight leg, which was the old method for the hamstring stretch, often stressed the sciatic nerve (which runs from the lower back into the thigh) rather than the muscle, causing pain at the back of the knee.

Lie on your back, hook a band over one heel and pull that leg towards you so your hip flexes to 90 degrees. Now pull on the band so that your knee starts to straighten (but not fully). Pull enough so that you feel a good – but not painful – stretch in the back of your upper leg. Hold for 45 seconds, switch legs and repeat.

STRENGTH: 90 SECS

This compound exercise involves the hamstring curl, bridge and core activation in one move.

Lie on the floor with your heels resting on a fitness ball and engage your core as per the Core Exercise (17). Pull your heels towards you while raising your hips at the same time. Slowly return to the start position on the floor. Repeat for 3 x 8-10 reps.

FLEXIBILITY: 90 SECS

Your soleus is the deeper flat muscle in your calf.

Stand facing a wall with your feet 10-20cm away from it, one foot in front of the other. Bend both knees until you feel a dull stretch deep in the calf muscle. Hold for 45 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.