Why Runners Need Strength Training for Better Bone Health

When we think about running, we often picture the heart pounding, lungs working, and legs burning — but what about your bones?

Most runners don’t realise that the foundation of every stride isn’t just muscle or endurance — it’s bone strength. And if you’re not training your bones right, you’re literally running the risk of breaking down. Here’s why runners need strength training for better bone health.

The Truth About Bones: They’re Not Just Passive Structures

Bones are usually seen as lifeless, but unlike other materials they’re actually living tissue that respond to stress. When subjected to mechanical loading — like ground reaction forces during running or lifting weights — bones undergo a process called remodelling, where they break down slightly and rebuild stronger.

The catch? They need the right kind of loading to adapt and enough time.

But Why Do We Even Care? Repetitive Loading And The Stress Fracture Trap

Running is a repetitive loading activity. Every step you take puts stress on the same bones in the same direction. Initially, this is a good stimulus — your bones respond and get stronger. But over time, your body gets used to it. This phenomenon is known as mechanical desensitisation.

Here’s the dangerous cycle:

• You go on frequent runs without variation.

• The bone doesn’t have enough rest to recover its sensitivity.

• It stops adapting to the repetitive stress.

• Micro-damage accumulates.

• Welcome to Stress Fracture City.

  
  

Common sites? Tibia (shin), femoral neck (hip), and metatarsals (foot). Ask any distance runner or sports doc — they’ve seen it. I myself work with clients dealing with shin and hip stress fractures an it can turn pretty nasty.

How Strength Training Disrupts the Cycle — In a Good Way

This is where strength training becomes a runner’s best friend.

Unlike running, strength training applies multi-directional, variable, and often higher-magnitude forces to the skeleton. This variation re-stimulates bone adaptation, particularly in areas under high stress during running.

Some major benefits include:

• Increased bone density, especially in the hips and spine.

• Improved muscle strength, which decreases the load placed directly on bones.

• Enhanced neuromuscular control, reducing injury risk.

• Restoration of mechanical sensitivity in bone cells by breaking the monotony of repetitive loading.

In short: Because the movement variations and loading strategies are endless, strength training can be use with running to help avoid injuries.

What Kind of Strength Training Works Best?

Not all exercises are equal when it comes to bone health. The best choices are high-load, weight-bearing, multi-joint movements but most importantly dynamic in nature meaning ISO’s don’t work. Think:

• Squats

• Deadlifts

• Lunges

• Bench press

• Jumps and plyometrics ( Highly effective )

The beauty of strenght training is that it is intensive by nature, meaning you can’t do that much if it. So a well-designed program just 2x per week is often enough to make a meaningful impact on bone strength, and it works extremely well against the extensive nature of endurance training ie: running several days a week.

A Runner’s Reality: Balance is Everything

Here’s what you need to remember:

• Bones need stress to grow, but too much of the same stress, too often, without recovery? That’s when injuries happen.

• Bones can adapt, but only if you mix up the stimulus and allow time for recovery.

• Strength training isn’t optional if you’re serious about performance, longevity, and staying injury-free as a runner.

Running makes you a better runner. Strength training makes you a better, more durable athlete.

Want help designing a simple bone-friendly strength routine tailored for runners? Drop a comment or get in touch — your next PR might just start in the weight room.

AUTHOR - KARIM DJIDEL