Move|This Strength Workout Will Make You a Better Runner

Starting to run is simple: Lace up your sneakers, go outside, put one foot in front of the other. But continuing to run without injury requires a little more effort. For that, you also have to strength train.

“The old notion was run, run, run,” said Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. But running alone doesn’t build enough muscle strength to keep you injury-free as you age, he said.

Runners need strong muscles to absorb the stress and impact of pounding the pavement. Increasing your muscular power may also improve speed and endurance, Dr. Metzl said.

Lauren Roberts, a physical therapist in Ontario who primarily works with runners, said the most common concerns she sees are patellofemoral pain syndrome (known as runner’s knee), Achilles injuries, IT band syndrome and shin splints. Many of those issues can be prevented by strengthening the surrounding muscles and joints, Ms. Roberts said.

The exercises in this routine are designed to help build strength in your quads and posterior chain — the muscles on the backside of your body — and improve joint mobility and functional strength.

Aim for two strength training sessions per week. Ms. Roberts suggested taking a day of recovery between a longer run and a strength session. You can adjust the frequency of your strength workouts based on your running goals. If you’re training for a marathon, for example, Ms. Roberts recommended dropping down to one strength session a week at the start of your last month of training and none during your two-week taper before the race.