12 Days of Fitmas

'Tis the season to listen to Hollie, as our resident expert shares her 12 Days of Fitmas - an advent calendar of strength exercises for runners.

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1. SINGLE-LEG SQUAT

"On the first day of running, my trainer gave to me: A single-leg squat for stability! "

Exercise: Single-Leg Squat

How to do it: Stand on one leg, extend the other leg forward, and slowly lower your body into a squat position. Keep your back straight and chest up. Push through the heel to return to the starting position.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.

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2. JUMPING LUNGES

"On the second day of running, my trainer gave to me: Two lunges leaping!"

Exercise: Jumping Lunges

How to do it: Start with a lunge position, then explosively jump and switch legs mid-air. Land softly and immediately go into the next lunge.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

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3. ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS

"On the third day of running, my trainer gave to me: Three Romanian deadlifts deadlifting!"

Exercise: Romanian deadlifts

How to do it: Slightly bend your knees, keep your knees fixed and hinge forwards, keeping your back straight. Bend forwards until you feel a stretch on the back of your hamstrings.

Muscles worked: Hamstrings and back extensors.

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4. PLANK LEG LIFTS

"On the fourth day of running, my trainer gave to me: Four plank leg lifts lifting!"

Exercise: Plank Leg Lifts

How to do it: Get into a plank position and lift one leg at a time, keeping your core engaged and back straight.

Muscles worked: Core, hip flexors, and glutes.

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5. SINGLE LEG SIT TO STANDS

"On the fifth day of running, my trainer gave to me: Five single leg sit to stands!"

Exercise: Single leg sit to stands

How to do it: find a low chair, without holding on stand from your chair and sit back down slowly, sticking back your hips to engage the glutes.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps and glutes.

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6. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

"On the sixth day of running, my trainer gave to me: Six mountain climbers climbing!"

Exercise: Mountain Climbers

How to do it: In a plank position, alternate bringing your knees towards your chest in a running motion. Great for your running warm up!

Muscles worked: Core, shoulders, and cardiovascular system.

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7. SQUAT JUMPS

"On the seventh day of running, my trainer gave to me: Seven squat jumps jumping!"

Exercise: Squat Jumps

How to do it: Perform a squat and explode into a jump, reaching for the sky before landing softly.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

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8. SIDE LUNGES

"On the eighth day of running, my trainer gave to me: Eight side lunges lunging!"

Exercise: Side Lunges

How to do it: Step to the side, keeping one leg straight and bending the other into a lunge position. Push off and return to the starting position.

Muscles worked: adductor and abductors, glutes, and hamstrings.

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9. BOX JUMPS

"On the ninth day of running, my trainer gave to me: Nine box jumps jumping!"

Exercise: Box Jumps

How to do it: Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform, jump onto it, then step back down and repeat.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

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10. HIGH KNEES

"On the tenth day of running, my trainer gave to me: Ten high knees running!"

Exercise: High Knees

How to do it: Run in place, lifting your knees as high as possible with each step. Great for warm ups!

Muscles worked: Core, hip flexors, and cardiovascular system.

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11. CALF RAISES

"On the eleventh day of running, my trainer gave to me: eleven calf raise raising!"

Exercise: Calf raises

How to do it: Stand on one leg and slowly go up on your tip toes and lower back down.

Muscles worked: Gastrocnemius and soleus.

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12. PLANK VARIATIONS

"On the twelfth day of running, my trainer gave to me: twelve planks a-planking!"

Exercise: Plank Variations

How to do it: Hold a plank position, and mix it up with side planks, forearm planks, and other variations to keep your core engaged.

Muscles worked: Core, shoulders, and overall stability.

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Now, lace up those running shoes, and let the 12 days of running exercises keep you fit and strong!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

My name is Hollie Maskell, a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist. I have been qualified for 7 years now, previously working in the NHS and now working privately across London and Surrey. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit I was redeployed from what most would consider traditional physio the specialist cancer units where I was focused on Respiratory treatments.

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During this time I was aware a lot of patients were no longer getting the treatment they needed for muscular or joint injuries and I wanted to continue helping people with injuries. To share as much free material as possible and to provide people with simple injury tips.

Fast-forward 3-years and I continue to share injury tips but have focussed on runners as I am a keen runner myself and treat mainly running related injuries. My mission is to help people get back to running as quick as possible and ensure they prevent injury.

You can follow Hollie here on Instagram for more advice on injury prevention and recovery.

You can also visit her website to book a physio appointment.

Looking for some training tips and advice? Then head over to our Training category where our athletes and experts explain everything you need to know.