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In trail running you use different muscles than road running. Different muscles are used in the feet, knees, ankles, and legs. Trail running challenges your stability and balance. Without proper training for trail running you can end up with sore ankles and knees followed by unwanted injury. It is important to do these 3 drills mentioned below so you don’t get injuries from trail running.

The first drill is stair hops. This is going to help build leg agility and strength. Start this drill by finding a picnic table, stairs, or bench. Place feet hip distance apart and use your legs to hop up onto your desired platform, landing on the balls of your feet. Do 3-5 sets of 5 jumps 1-2 times a week.

The second drill is the 4-square drill. This drill helps build ankle and foot agility, and knee strength. Start this drill by drawing a square on the ground, roughly 2ft x 2ft. Jump with both feet together from the center to outside of the square and back to center. Repeat and do all 4 sides of the square. Once you have mastered 2 feet, try using just 1 foot. This also works great with an agility ladder

The third drill is bounding. Bounding builds great strength in the legs, improves uphill running technique, and corrects improper running form. Start this drill by taking long strides while running, focusing on getting the knees up high and exploding of your back leg. Run for about 100 meters. Repeat this up to 3-4 times.

Another helpful hint for trail running is doing uphill sprints. This helps build explosive power in your legs for running up mountains and also helps strengthen your knees, ankles, and legs for running downhill.

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3 Drills for Trail Runners