Use This 15-Minute Recovery Circuit to Prevent Common Running Injuries

Rest and recovery are just as important as your actual run. In the final episode of the three-part runner’s series presented by 26.2 Team Milk, fitness instructor Ashley Joi walks you through a 15-minute recovery circuit, showing you how to prevent injury, repair tired muscles, and relieve muscle soreness. Use this quick workout as a warmup or cooldown to keep yourself safe, reduce pain, and recover from your runs faster.

You’ll start on the mat with a round of bodyweight glute bridges, pushing up and slowly lowering back down to the ground. “I know this is a strength move, but it also is a great recovery move because it helps strengthen glutes and hamstrings, which can also alleviate knee pain and shin splints,” Joi explains. From here, you’ll target the hip abductors with clamshell exercises, pushing the hips forwards to prevent knee pain and IT-band issues that may occur as a result of running. “It’s not really bad, it’s just that we have to do these small things to help our body get stronger and adapt to the movement,” she says.

Next up are toe curls to strengthen the muscles in your feet. Start by sitting on a chair or step, and use your toes to grab and pull on a towel. This may feel a little unconventional, but it’s great for preventing and treating plantar fasciitis
. Using the same chair or step, you’ll then stretch out your calves with heel drops. “This very simple stretch can help you and prevent any Achilles tendon injuries,” Joi says.

You’ll end by stretching out the quads, bending your knee and bringing your ankle to your butt before repeating the entire workout a second time. Ultimately, it’s important to remember we’re training for a lifetime of running, not just one race. Take care of your body, and check out the full runner’s series on the POPSUGAR Fitness YouTube channel.