The Best HIIT Moves for Runners

As the year begins, I love sitting down and planning out my races, runs, fitness goals, and workouts for the year. Looking at the big picture really helps me see when there are gaps in my training. It’s easy to tell what months will be running intensive, and which months will need a little beefing up.

As I begin this process, I can already see that this month will be one of my lowest mileage months. With the snow, cold temperatures, and no immediate races looming on the horizon, I plan to give my legs a little bit of a break this month before the miles amp up.

Whenever my mileage is a little lower, I love using the time to focus on strengthening those running muscles. My favorite winter workouts are done in my living room while watching tv. I don’t have to leave the house even to drive to gym, and some of my biggest strength gains happen during these workouts. These workouts are much easier to get motivated for since I can do them at any point during the day.

After years of experimentation, I have found my greatest running successes come when I am dedicating the most time to strength training. However, like most runners, strength training is one of my least favorite things to do.

The solution?

HIIT workouts.

What does HIIT stand for? High intensity interval training. These moves are high energy moves that get your heart rate sky rocketing in a short amount of time. They’re designed to increase your heart rate quickly and be done for short amounts of time with little breaks. This allows for maximum calorie burn and strengthening in short amounts of time.

Incorporating these moves into my weekly routine has kept me physically and mentally strong. Strengthening these muscles helps me stay ready for any upcoming training season, even when my mileage is lower. As winter reaches its peak I am looking forward to using this time to strengthen my body for races that lie ahead.

Here are some of the the best and most effective HIIT moves for runners.

The Best HIIT Moves for Runners

• Jump squats
  

  
• Burpees
  

  
• Jump lunges
  

  
• Legs down with hip lift
• Bridge lifts
• Plank jacks
  

  
• High knees
• Jump ropes (I always do this without a jump rope and just pretend)
• Cross Country skiiers
• Mountain climbers
• Single leg squat touches with hop
  

  
• Chair jumps

The off-season is one of the most important parts of training. This is when a runner’s dedication is put to the ultimate test. Will you give up and get lazy when you can’t get outdoors? Or will you put in the work now to make the peak training season worth it.

Adding these moves into your weekly routine can take as little as 15 minutes out of your week and will greatly improve your running.

Let’s start this year off right! Happy training 🙂