I recently shared my least favorite exercises for half-marathon prep and why I still do them. I prefer to be more positive, so now I’m listing my top five exercises for half-marathon training! I do these (and many other exercises) regularly as part of my strength and marathon workouts.
- Pulse squats (or regular squats). I could do these all day. They burn, yes, but I love them.
- Lunges with one foot on bench with weights in each hand. I kind of feel like a bad ass doing these. It tests your balance and strength.
- Plank. Not to toot my own horn, but I can hold plank for a decent amount of time. In a recent Orangetheory class I held plank for three minutes! Planks are a great way to work your core as well as your upper and lower body.
- Pikes on the Ab Dolly. With your feet on the ab dolly and hands on the ground in a plank position, roll your feet toward your hands until you’re in a pike, or V-shape. It’s a great core workout and challenges my fear of falling.
- Half-mile repeats. I like that the runs are broken down to short distances for time, so that the workout goes by much faster than usual. They also build endurance and strength. I’m sticking with half-mile repeats because one-mile repeats are not my favorite. Runner’s World has awesome tips on doing these.
What are your favorite workouts? Share them with me in the comments!
Are you training for any races? What are your favorite exercises? Let me know which in the comments!
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Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.