The prospect of heading out for a run on a dark December night is enough to put off many a keen runner. The lure of mince pies while watching "Merlin" on the BBC is just too much for many of us. According to a survey in this month's Runnersworld, "mileage dwindles until the 15th: then there's a steeper incline leading up to that turkey dinner". So how can we Ealing Eagles ensure our parkrun PBs aren't hurt by the December running blues? Or 10k PBs, for that matter?

Some short exercises added onto a 5 or 6 mile run can make a big difference, maximising those painful late night or early morning running sessions.

Plyometrics is not the rocket science it sounds (when I first heard about it, I thought of Bond villains and some sort of nuclear explosive). It is a set of exercises used to boost the power of muscles in many sports, making them more springy and responsive. Take a look at the runners ahead of you the next time you run parkrun. Ever noticed how some of them look like their feet are on the ground for a long time while others seem to barely touch it? That's plyometric power for you.

So how do you add spring to your step in a few easy steps? Easy:

Lightfooted Lunges

Ten forward lunges, pushing up into the air from one lunge to the next, is a great plyometric exercise. It's like genuflecting to the gods of running, only springing from one genuflection to the next. Classy.

Square Bunny Hops

I name this exercise as Godfrey nicknamed it when I suggested it one Monday night. Stand on one foot and do jumps about two foot long, one forward, one right, one backwards and one to the left back to where you started. Repeat this ten times on each foot. It's great for core muscles too.

Bench Plyo

Jump off a bench and back up again 'kissing' the ground with both feet. The key is to stay on the ground for the smallest amount of time possible. Do this ten times. Check nobody has called the police.

Plyometrics may not seem or even feel like very useful exercise for running, but research proves it yields significant results when added to a solid basic running programme (3 runs per week, give or take), especially over shorter distances.

If you are stuck in a rut with parkrun, trying to break through an annoying time barrier, plyo will be a big help. Seeing parkrun results improve is a great motivator for these cold winter months.

So are bunny hops. For those watching you, at least.

For more on Plyometrics: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/plyometric-power/5629.html