Running is extremely high impact. In order to run long into life, avoid injury, protect and maintain your bone health, ensure joint health and durability, improve your metabolism, regulate your hormones and improve your brain health you NEED to be strength training.
But, how often?
The only way to truly see results is to be consistent enough. Start by adding in 2 strength sessions a week that are at least 10-20 minutes. Slowly build those sessions in duration and difficulty and work your way up to 3-4 sessions a week. When you initially start, start with simple bodyweight and move up to dumbbells!
The most important element is to be consistent and persistent enough to reap the benefits. When you only train once a week, you don’t provide enough muscular stimulation to truly benefit. It takes EFFORT!
So, short answer: start with 2 sessions. Build up to 3-4.
You got this! My strength programs are designed to help runners build up muscle so they can truly thrive as runners. Check them out HERE.
