Here are a few exercises and workouts you can do at home that will improve your running, make you more resilient to injury, and help keep you healthy in body and mind.

Body weight circuits

There are countless body weight exercises to do at home. The principle is to work hard for 45 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds – if you repeat this pattern for 20 minutes, you will have put yourself through a vigorous workout.

You could try burpees, squats, and step ups – if you have a step, a sturdy chair or a box. Or perhaps lunges, jump squats, high knees, and skipping if you have the space and a skipping rope.

There’s also mountain climbers – in a press up position, bring one knee up to your chest, then the other knee, and repeat the process quickly.

Try out any combination of the above. For example, pick five and do them four times each with the 45/15 second split for 20 minutes.

YouTube is a great resource for more ideas on body weight exercises and home circuits.

The intense stop start nature of circuits will improve your lactic threshold and your anaerobic capacity. This will allow you to run at your threshold pace for longer and make the leg burning step climbs on Hong Kong’s trail runs easier.

Injury prevention

Use this down time to do injury prevention exercises that will also benefit your speed and efficiency when running.

A good principle for injury prevention is to prioritise single leg exercises, so as to sort out any imbalances between your legs that may lead to one area compensating and becoming injured.

• Romanian dead lifts – lean forward and lift one leg up backwards. You will be balanced on one straight leg, the other will be straight out behind you. Your torso and hind leg should be parallel to the ground. Stand up straight again. If it’s easy, hold a weight in the hand opposite to the weight-bearing leg. This will strengthen your glutes and hamstrings, and the little muscles that aid stability.

• Bulgarian split squats – think of a lunge, but with your back foot raised so it is resting on a chair. Keep your body upright, and bend your front leg so your back knee drops to the floor. If you cannot reach the floor with your back knee, that is fine too. Then drive back up with your front leg. This will strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, quad and stability muscles.

• Single leg seated squats – lower yourself onto a chair with one leg, then stand back up with just one leg. Try and control the lowering – don’t just flop down. It will improve your quads, hamstrings, glutes and stability muscles. The control needed to sit down slowly will also aid your downhill running.

• Calf raises – stand-up on your toes then slowly lower your heels to the ground. This will improve the strength of your calves, and the slow lowering will help prevent Achilles tendon issues like tendinosis and tendinitis.

Core exercises

Core muscles are important for runners’ posture, efficiency, and injury prevention, but are often neglected. There are some simple exercises to improve your core strength and endurance.

• The plank – rest your weight on your elbows and toes. With your body straight, hold the position for a set time, such as 45 seconds.

• Side plank – with your weight on one elbow and the outside of one foot, hold your body rigid and at right angles to the floor. This will improve your core and also engage your glutes.

• Twists – lie on your back, and lift your torso and your feet so your stomach and thighs are in a “V” shape. Clasp your hands together and twist to touch the floor next to your hips, and then do the same for the other side. Hold a weight if you want to make it harder (such as a water bottle if you are at home).

• Dead bugs – lie on your back, point your hands straight up, and lift your legs so your thighs are pointing straight up, and bend your knees so your shins are parallel to the ground. Lower one arm and the opposite leg so your hand and foot almost touch the ground and return to the starting position. Repeat this process with the other leg and arm.