Whether you're looking to lower race times or just want to see a shapelier lower body in the mirror, leg and running exercises can help accomplish your goals. The leg exercises shape and tone your muscles, while running drills build stamina and put your newly developed muscles to the test.
Leg and running exercises strengthen the leg muscles and increase your stamina. You can isolate particular muscles, such as the quadriceps and calves, using free weights or machine-based exercises; you can also hit the track or treadmill for running drills that improve your endurance, speed and pacing. According to Travis Erickson, a lecturer in exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, athletes who use weights as well as track time to train are less likely to be injured and more likely to post faster times.
Significance
Erickson believes weight training can help you run faster. He suggests runners work on both resistance training and plyometric exercises to increase the amount of force with which they strike the ground. More force, he says, can equal a longer stride. A longer stride equals fewer steps taken during a race, potentially reducing fatigue and stress on oft-injured body parts like your knees and hips.
Leg Exercises
With no equipment or gym membership, you can work your hamstrings, calves and quads. According to the American Council on Fitness, you can target your legs with exercises such as squats and lunges. To do a basic squat, shift your weight back on your heels and slowly move your hips backward and then down, lowering yourself down over your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor. To do a basic lunge, lift one foot off the floor and forward, striking the floor with your heel and letting your weight fall on the forward leg. Press off with that front leg to return to a standing position.
High-intensity Interval Training
According to the American Council on Fitness, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) trains your body to perform better under anaerobic conditions--times when you're running faster than your blood can carry oxygen to your cells. HIIT mixes intense bursts of activity with a less intense recovery period. ACE suggests using fast-paced sprints that last between 30 seconds and two minutes, with recovery periods lasting two to three times as long. You can practice HIIT training on foot, on a bike or on popular gym machines, such as a stair climber, elliptical machine or treadmill.
Warning
According to the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center, both leg and running exercises can cause knee injuries. If you experience any pain in your knees, refrain from training and ice your knee several times a day. Tight hip and leg muscles can also contribute to knee overuse; the health center suggests you do light stretching exercises two to three times per day at least six days a week, holding each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
