Whether you run or not
When we think about fitness, it’s easy to focus on the things we can measure.
How fast we run. How far we can go. How much we can lift.
But there’s another side of fitness that becomes increasingly important as we get older: being strong enough to enjoy everyday life.
Strength isn’t just about building muscle or lifting heavy weights. It helps us move well, feel capable and maintain the physical freedom to do the things we enjoy.
And that’s something I believe is worth training for at every stage of life.
If you’re a runner, strength matters
Running is a fantastic form of exercise, but running alone doesn’t provide everything your body needs.
Every stride places repeated demands on your muscles, tendons and joints. Building strength can help create a stronger foundation to support your running and handle those demands.
For runners, I particularly like exercises that strengthen the:
- Glutes and hips
- Quads and hamstrings
- Calves and feet
- Core and trunk
- Single-leg stability
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym either. A couple of short, well-designed strength sessions each week can complement your running without taking over your training.
And strength isn’t just useful if you’re training for a race. It can be just as valuable if you run for enjoyment, fitness or simply because you love being outside.
Strength becomes even more important as we age
One of the reasons I’m passionate about strength is that it isn’t just about what we can do today.It’s about maintaining our ability to do things years from now.
As we get older, maintaining muscle strength, balance, coordination and mobility becomes increasingly important. Being strong can help with everyday activities we often take for granted — carrying shopping, climbing stairs, travelling, gardening or simply moving confidently through your day.
Fitness shouldn’t be about trying to turn back the clock. For me, it’s about building a body that can keep up with your life.
You don’t have to lift huge weights
Strength training doesn’t have to mean spending an hour in a gym lifting heavy weights.
You can train at home using bodyweight, resistance bands, dumbbells or other simple equipment.
Exercises such as squats, lunges, step-ups, bridges, calf raises and core exercises can form the foundation of an effective programme.
The important thing is choosing exercises that suit you and gradually giving your body a reason to adapt.
Strength and mobility work together
I also like combining strength with mobility work, particularly for runners.
Mobility helps us move through the ranges we need, while strength helps us become more capable within those movements.
Add running, walking, yoga or other activities that you enjoy, and you have a much more rounded approach to fitness.
And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
You don’t need to train every day, do endless exercises or feel exhausted after every workout.
A simple combination of strength, cardiovascular exercise, mobility and recovery can go a long way.
Fitness for life
This is at the heart of what I want Ultrafit to be about.
Running will always be a huge part of my own life, and I love helping runners improve their performance. But fitness is so much bigger than running.
It’s about strength.
It’s about movement.
It’s about mobility.
It’s about feeling confident in your body.
And it’s about being able to continue doing the things you enjoy.
Whether you’re training for a 5K, getting back into exercise, starting strength training for the first time or simply wanting to feel fitter and stronger, there is always a place to start.
Start where you are. Build gradually. Keep moving.
Because fitness isn’t just about being fit for a race or a particular age.
It’s about being fit for life.