If you don’t have access to a treadmill or other cardio equipment, there’s no reason why you can’t get in a good cardio and strengthening workout. You don’t even need a lot of floor space to do this workout. It’s perfect for when it’s too dark, cold, icy, snowy, or hot to run outdoors. You can do it indoors, right in your living room or even in a hotel room while you’re on vacation. You may also want to do it outdoors during favorable weather to switch up your usual running routine.
This cardio and strengthening workout for runners combines running drills with body-weight exercises. You’re frequently switching between exercises, so you won’t get bored and you’ll get a great overall workout that burns a ton of calories.
If you’re new to running or strength training and this workout looks too challenging, you can start with sets 1 to 4, then work your way up to doing all seven.
Instructions for the strengthening exercises can be found at the following links:
- Lower Body Strengthening Exercises (lunge, squat, calf, V-sit, straight leg raise)
- Core Strengthening Exercises (front plank, side plank, push-up, reverse crunch)
- Calf Strengthening Exercises (calf raise, toe raise)
- Exercises to Make Running Easier (superman)
1. Cardio reverse pyramid
- Jog in place – 60 count
- Butt kicks – 50 count
- One-leg hops (40 count – 20x each leg)
- Jumping jacks – 30 count
- High knees – 20 count
- Basketball jumps (crouch down, spring up) – 10x
2. Strengthening exercises
- 30 Squats
- 30 Front lunges (alternate legs)
- 30 Side Lunges (alternate legs)
- 30 Straight leg raises (alternate legs)
3. Repeat Cardio reverse pyramid sequence
- Jog in place – 60 count
- Butt kicks – 50 count
- One-leg hops (40 count – 20x each leg)
- Jumping jacks – 30 count
- High knees – 20 count
- Basketball jumps (crouch down, spring up) – 10x
4. Strengthening exercises
- 30 Squats
- 30 Front lunges (alternate legs)
- Wall sit (hold 40 seconds, repeat 3 times)
- 3 x 10 Heel raises (10 in each position – feet parallel, toes pointing out, toes pointing in)
- 15 Toe raises
5. Repeat Cardio reverse pyramid sequence
- Jog in place – 60 count
- Butt kicks – 50 count
- One-leg hops (40 count – 20x each leg)
- Jumping jacks – 30 count
- High knees – 20 count
- Basketball jumps (crouch down, spring up) – 10x
6. Strengthening exercises
- Front plank (hold 30 seconds)
- Side plank (both sides, hold 30 seconds)
- V-Sit ab exercise (one minute)
- Reverse crunch (one minute)
- 20 Push-ups
- Superman (lie on belly, arms up, feet up, hold 3 seconds x 5)
7. Repeat Cardio reverse pyramid sequence
- Jog in place – 60 count
- Butt kicks – 50 count
- One-leg hops (40 count – 20x each leg)
- Jumping jacks – 30 count
- High knees – 20 count
- Basketball jumps (crouch down, spring up) – 10x
Also see: Inexpensive Home Gym Equipment for Indoor Workouts
