Week 6: Jessica Ennis-Hill helps you level up your strength training

Congratulations – you’ve reached the halfway point of your 10-week journey to the Vitality London 10,000!

Make sure you take a moment to celebrate how far you’ve come – and get excited about what’s ahead.

Whether you’ve been hitting your stride or simply keeping pace, this week is all about building strength to support your running journey.

Vitality Ambassador Jessica Ennis-Hill returns this week, joined by Born Barikor, Vitality Representative and founder of Our Parks.

Together, they are going to share some expert tips on how strength training can elevate your running performance and keep you feeling strong and confident.

Watch Ennis-Hill and Barikor share their top tips below:

Why strength matters

“Strength training is a game-changer for runners,” says Ennis-Hill.

“It helps you move more efficiently, recover faster and stay injury-free. Even just a couple of sessions a week can make a big difference.”

Running isn’t just about endurance, it’s also about power, stability and resilience.

Strength training helps build the muscles that support your joints, improve your posture and reduce your risk of injury.

As your mileage increases, your body will thank you for the extra support.

Fitting it in

If you’re already running three times a week, aim to add one or two short strength sessions to your routine.

Now, that might seem like a lot, but these can be 20 to 30 minutes long and can be done at home.

Try pairing them with your easier run days or rest days to avoid overtraining.

And remember: recovery is key. Stretch after your sessions, stay hydrated and listen to your body.

Next week, we’ll be diving into nutrition and how to fuel your runs for maximum energy and performance.

Stay tuned and keep moving forward – you’re doing brilliantly!

Related: 5 ways to boost your self-care routine this summer