Want to improve your next 5k time? The key to unlocking a faster time is in your stride. It works like this: as you fatigue during your run, your cadence slows down. A strong, quick turnover will help you finish faster. These exercises will help strengthen the muscles critical to a fast turnover:

High knees

 
The high knees drill helps train your hip flexors, and trains your fast twitch muscles and stabilizer muscles. To perform this drill, drive your knees up toward your chest quickly as you move forward. Make sure to land softly on the balls of your feet and drive your knees up and down as fast as you can.

Butt kick

 
This move is the opposite of high knees. The butt kick drill trains the hamstrings. Stand straight and keeping the top half of the leg in line with your torso, bend the knee and swing the lower half of the leg to raise your foot upward and kick your butt, literally. More forward at a steady pace while alternately kicking backward, but if you are doing it correctly, it will be slow going.

One Legged Box Jump

 
Stand on one leg facing a box or step. In one large dynamic movement, jump up and land on your standing leg, then jump back down to starting position. This exercise strengthens glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quads.

Step Ups

 
Stand with feet about shoulder width apart, facing a flat bench, about knee high. Hold hands with palms facing inwards at your sides. Pushing down through your right leg, slowly lift your left leg and place it firmly on the bench. Holding your torso tight and maintaining you balance, push through your left leg and lift your right leg to raise your body onto the bench, but do not rest your right foot on the bench. Continue lifting right leg to chest height, then slowly lower right leg to floor and then lower left leg until you are standing in start position. Do all reps leading with left leg and then repeat with the opposite leg.

Cable Knee Drive

 
Facing away from a cable stack, secure a strap around your ankle with the pulley near the floor. Stand 1 – 2 feet away from the stack on one leg. Drive the opposite knee up toward your chest with a quick, powerful pull. Complete one set, then switch legs. This exercise strengthens the hip flexors and trains a quicker, more powerful turnover when you are running, which will increase your running cadence.

Complete 4 sets once a week to improve your running stride.

Running Stride