When I first started running, I thought that doing a lot of sit-ups and crunches was a good way to work out my core. I would then look for any signs of visible ab definition. I was doing core work all wrong, it turns out.
Holly Dickinson, a UESCA-certified run coach, NSCA-certified strength and conditioning coach, and owner of StrideHer run coaching, says that when most people think about core, they think about the abs and the six-pack. Crunches and other ab-specific exercises mostly work your rectus abdominis muscles, which are the muscles that make up the “six pack.”
Functional core exercises, on the other hand, work your whole torso including your diaphragm, pelvic floor, glutes, back muscles, transverse abdominis muscles (the deep core muscles that wrap around your midsection like a corset), and rectus abdominis muscles. Dickinson says that each of these parts of your core helps you run and move power into each step.
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After I switched from ab-focused workouts to functional core moves, I noticed that my posture improved on runs, my training speeds got better, and it seemed to help with my side stitches as well. I also cut my routine from ten moves to about five, which gives me more time to run. These are the changes I made.
Dickinson suggests doing these five functional moves as a workout on their own. Do each move in the order below as a circuit, taking short breaks between each one. Do two or three sets. You can also use these to warm up your core before a run or as part of a full-body strength workout.
1. Plank after sit-ups
Why it works
Sit-ups focus on bending the spine, which isn’t something you need to do while running to stay upright they also often use the hip flexors more than they need to. Planks, on the other hand, work on full-body tension and teach your core how to support your spine, which is what you need to do when you run.
How to do it
- Lie on your stomach and put your elbows right under your shoulders. Put your feet about hip-width apart. Check that your back is flat and your head and neck are in a neutral position.
- Push your elbows into the floor and imagine pulling them toward you (without really pulling them toward you) to get the back of your body moving.
- Lift your hips while tightening your abs glutes and quads.
- Don’t hold your breath breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Keep it up for 20 to 30 seconds.
2. Penguin to the side plank in Copenhagen
How it works
I used to do penguins as part of my core routine. You lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, and then you touch your heels from side to side while doing a crunch-like movement. But I noticed that I usually hurt my neck just to feel the burn in my obliques.
Copenhagen side planks, on the other hand, work your obliques and hip adductors. These are the muscles on the inside of your thighs that help pull your leg toward your midline, which helps keep your knees in line while you run. Also, they help keep the pelvis stable, which is very important for runners.
Dickinson says, “Hip adductors help to center the femur [thigh bone] under the pelvis and work with the glutes to control rotation and keep the pelvis from shifting, dropping, or rotating in our stride when they’re weak or not trained enough, the knees and lower back often make up for it.”
How to do it
- Put your left forearm on the floor and your elbow directly under your shoulder. Lie on your right side next to a bench or chair. Put your hips and shoulders on top of each other.
- Keep your legs straight and put your right foot on top of the bench or chair.
- Push your left forearm into the floor and lift your hips.
- Lift your left leg up to the bottom of the bench to work your inner thighs. Keep it for 30 seconds change sides.
3. Russian twist to renegade row
Why it works
Russian twists are a great way to work on your oblique muscles, but they don’t support your spine and don’t work other muscle groups.
Renegade rows work the upper body, hips, and core all at once. Dickinson says that the core, which includes the transverse abdominis and obliques, has to keep your pelvis from tipping while you do a row to work your back muscles this helps keep your body from rotating and improves your posture.
How to do it
- Put your hands on dumbbells, your wrists under your shoulders, and your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Start in a high plank position.
- Pull one dumbbell up to your hip while keeping your hips still and your elbow close to your side.
- Put the dumbbell back on the floor and do the same thing on the other side.
- Do this for 16 reps, switching sides every eight.
4. Crunch to dead bug
How it works
Crunches mostly work the superficial core muscles, especially the rectus abdominis some people do them with momentum, which can hurt their necks and backs. Dickinson says that dead bugs work out the whole core, with a focus on deep core control, and they mimic the position that runners move through.
Dickinson says that exercises like dead bugs help to lengthen and strengthen the hip flexors while keeping them in a controlled position this improves form and can help to counteract the effects of sitting too much.
How to do it
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and both legs raised so that they are directly over your hips.
- Put both of your arms straight up in the air, with your hands in line with your shoulders this is where you start.
- Put your left leg straight out in front of you and lower it toward the floor. At the same time, raise your right arm above your head and lower it toward the floor.
- Stop for a moment, then go back to where you started.
- Do the same thing on the other side.
- Keep switching do this 16 times, eight times on each side.
5. Flutter kick to weighted glute bridge
How it works
According to Dickinson, flutter kicks can hurt your lower back and hip flexors on the other hand, glute bridges let your hips fully extend, which puts less strain on your back while you run and activates your glutes, which can help you run better.
As you get stronger, it’s easy to make glute bridges harder by doing different kinds, like the elevated glute bridge and the marching glute bridge.
How to do it
- Put your knees up and your feet on the floor. Put a dumbbell across your hips.
- Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to raise your hips toward the ceiling. Don’t lift with your lower back from your shoulders to your knees, your body should be in a straight line.
- Go back down slowly.
- Do this 10 to 15 times.
What functional core exercises can do for runners
Dickinson says that ab exercises like crunches and flutter kicks can help define the muscles in the abs, but they don’t help runners with the deep core stabilisation they need to keep their breathing steady, support their spine, and practise good form. Running with an unstable core can make it harder to extend your hips and shorten your stride, which can make you slower or cause pain in your lower back or knees.
Functional core exercises improve your core muscular endurance, which helps you stay upright even during the last miles of long runs this is different from ab-only exercises. This makes you more comfortable and helps you run longer.
