In this powerful episode of the Active Health Podcast, Dr. Juliet McGrattan is joined by fitness instructor and certified Health Coach Chantel Oakley for an in-depth conversation on strength training for runners. Whether you’re a beginner preparing for your first 5K or an experienced marathoner chasing a personal best, this episode gives you the knowledge and motivation you need to run stronger, faster, and injury-free. Juliet and Chantel break down why strength training matters for every runner, how to integrate it into a busy training schedule, and which exercises deliver the biggest performance gains. You’ll learn how strength work improves running form, reduces injury risk, boosts power and speed, and supports long-term health. Chantel also shares practical tips for getting started, building confidence in the gym, and tailoring workouts to your unique running goals. With clear explanations and realistic, science-supported strategies, this conversation empowers runners of all levels to make strength training an enjoyable and consistent part of their routine. If you’ve ever wondered how to lift, what to lift, or when to lift, this is your go-to guide. Perfect for: recreational runners, endurance athletes, new runners, returning runners, coaches, women’s health advocates, and anyone looking to build a stronger, more resilient body.
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Be honest with yourself, are you a runner who could probably benefit from doing some strength and conditioning? Do you struggle to stay motivated to do it? Are you recurrently injured? Perhaps you don’t really know what to actually do or where to even start?
In this episode, Dr. Juliet McGrattan is joined by fitness instructor and Health Coach Chantel Oakley. With huge experience as a trainer, including working with Nike, Chantel walks us through why strength work is so important for runners. She explains what benefits we’ll get, how quickly we’ll notice them and how to do exercises with good form. Starting with simple body weight exercises and progressing to resistance bands and one set of dumbbells, we’ll discover how it’s actually quite simple for us all to add some strength work into our week.
More than that, Chantel helps us to reconsider our motivations for training. How to move from a life of ‘should do’s’ and shame to one of ‘can do’s’ and hope. A mind set switch can prove very powerful when it comes to creating and sticking with new habits. You’ll be heading straight for your fitness kit by the end.
Host: Dr. Juliet McGrattan.
Recorded: November 17, 2021
Active Health is part of the Women Unscripted network (formerly WiSP Sports) founded in 2012 by Chris Stafford, which has more than 1700 episodes from around the world of women’s sport and the arts. We have covered every sport and all the issues around women in sport. We have interviewed hundreds of athletes and several of them have hosted our shows over the years. Subscribe and download Women Unscripted for free access to our extensive archive library.
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