Earlier this week I posted my favorite stretch, today I’ve got one of my favorite strengthening exercises. It earned that designation by being super effective, easy to do, and important because it’s outside of the regular running-range-of-motion.
It’s called the Clamshell, and it’s a mainstay for dancers. But more importantly, it strengthens your hips. Stronger hips lead to better running posture (and the ability to maintain your posture longer). You should definitely start easy with this one though … if you aren’t used to isolating these muscles, you’ll fatigue quickly.
Here’s a short video that does a great job of explaining how to do the exercise in simple English and demonstrating it, once you get past the insurance disclaimer:
