High Knees

High knees are a bodyweight drill where you run in place while lifting your knees high. They train your hip flexors, quadriceps, calves, and core, and they get your heart rate up, so they work well as part of a warm-up.

Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart. Let your arms hang at your sides, elbows bent slightly, ready to swing.

Start jogging in place. Drive one knee up toward hip height, then quickly switch legs. Land on the ball of your foot and keep your ground contact short. Pump your arms as if you were sprinting. Keep your torso upright and stay light on your feet.

Breathe naturally and keep your belly gently braced so your torso does not collapse forward. To make it easier, march in place and lift your knees high without leaving the ground. To make it harder, move faster and drive the knees higher.

Fault: The athlete barely lifts the knees and stays flat-footed. Fix: Focus on driving each knee up to hip height and landing on the balls of your feet, keeping ground contact quick.

Fault: The arms stay stiff at the sides. Fix: Pump the arms from the shoulders, matching the rhythm of your legs.

Fault: The athlete leans back or hunches forward as speed increases. Fix: Keep your torso stacked over your hips with a light abdominal brace, and slow down until you can hold good posture.