If you run, you primarily work your hamstrings, calf muscles, quadriceps and gluteal muscles, but a surprising number of other muscles work to support your sport. Work out not only your running muscles, but also your supporting muscles to improve the efficiency of your running workout. This can make your run more enjoyable, leading you to a lifetime of good health.
Running Muscles
Working your lower body offers obvious benefits. Lunges, squats, calf raises and deadlifts all isolate the key muscles involved in running. Lunges and squats focus on the hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes, with the calves as a secondary support. Calf raises and deadlifts work the back of the leg, aiding in developing the muscles of the calf -- soleus and gastrocnemius -- as well as the hamstring muscle and glutes. These are the muscles your primarily focus on when running.
Core
The core has generated a great deal of buzz as practitioners of a variety of sports, from swimming to running, identify core strength as critical to success in a sport. Core muscles don't mean just muscles of the abdomen. Core muscles mean the core of your body -- your back, sides and front. Strengthening your core leads to a stronger, stable body, making your running motion cleaner and better supported. To effectively work your core, try an isometric exercise, such as a front plank, where you hold yourself in a straight line supported on your forearms and toes for 30 seconds at a time.
Upper Body
You may think of running as primarily a lower-body sport. It's true that the primary motion is that of moving the legs, but your arms, chest, back and shoulders all aid in the running motion. Your biceps, in particular, draw your arms back and forward. Working them helps make this motion stronger and more defined, which is particularly useful in sprinting or as you fatigue. A simple biceps exercise is the biceps curl. With this activity, you can sit or stand. The key is to draw the weight to your shoulder, supporting your core, and fully extend your arm on the decline.
Effects
Running is a vigorous form of exercise. By strengthening the muscles involved, you can make the run more pleasant and potentially decrease muscle soreness as the muscles are strong enough to support your run. A 20-year study of runners published in the August 2008 "Archives of Internal Medicine," focusing on older runners, aged 50 and older, found that runners have a longer life and fewer potential disabilities.
