Arm Yourself For Better Form

This entry was written on Jan 10, 2009 by our Running Guru Heidi Splete

While running up a hill this morning, I was thinking again about how important it is to do enough upper body cross training to build some arm strength. As I have previously quoted my old college coach: "arms go, legs go."

Winter is a good time to re-commit to cross training. Not only will it give you a workout focus when you can't or don't want to run outside, it will help your running. I talk more about cross training in my book, 101 Marathon Tips, and in some of the tips on this site, so check them out for more ideas. But keep in mind that you don't have to lift weights to build stronger arms, and you won't get bulked up (if you want to get bulked up, that's another type of workout). I find that the power yoga class I try to attend once a week has done more for my arm and shoulder strength without adding bulk, than lifting weights, because I was afraid to lift to much for fear of bulking up. I still do my very sissy weight circuit, which is mostly leg exercises and some biceps/triceps lifts with light weights.

If you haven't tried yoga before, winter is a good time to test out a class. I'll elaborate more on some different types in another post, but for starters, you can't go wrong with an ashtanga yoga class if you are looking for a workout. An ashtanga class flows through a series of postures with little or no down time. But if you are totally new to yoga, check out a beginner class first to learn the basic moves.

Happy cross training!