I live in a very hilly area and cannot avoid running up hills, does too much hill running affect the muscles you need to run on flat routes?

Running uphill actually reduces the impact forces that are put through your muscles so it certainly can be beneficial in that respect. However, it does require your muscles, particularly your quads and glutes to work harder, which could negatively impact your recovery time between runs. Hills are a fantastic way to build your strength so there’s certainly no harm in doing some regular hilly running, as long as you are recovering adequately. However, if you are looking to do a quality training session, where you are aiming to hit a specific pace or you are nursing a slight niggle it may be wiser to find a flatter route where possible.

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Louise Damen

Louise has been running for over 20 years, with the last 16 of those at International level. She has represented Grea...

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