Core Strength and other exercises for runners
Supercharge your running with 3 essential strength sessions
There are 3 essential exercise sessions every runner should use to become stronger and faster.
They’re simple, you can do them at home and they don’t take too long.
Session 1: Core strength for runners
Session 2: Strength exercises using your body weight
Session 3: Massage and recovery using your ITB Roller.
Set yourself a home exercise plan with our FREE Exercise plan for runners developed by intraining’s physiotherapist, Doug James.
SESSION 1: Core strength exercises
Why you need a strong core.
Building your core strength is a worthwhile investment in your running. Having a strong core enables you to run with a better technique which may reduce your likelihood of injury, and can also help you to run further and faster! In a recent study, amateur runners performed a few core strength exercises 5 days per week. After 6 weeks, the runners recorded an average improvement of 1 minute in their 5km race time!
Use your core for better form.
Utilising your core muscles when running is an automatic process that becomes more effective as the muscles become stronger and fatigue resistant. You should find that you can maintain good running form (upright torso, and reduced hip drop) more easily and for longer after doing targeted core strength exercises for a few weeks. In order to ‘engage’ your core, focus on trying to ‘run tall’. This cue will coordinate the core muscles to improve your running posture and allow you to generate greater propulsion with less wasted energy. It’s important to note that to tense your stomach or core while running is counterproductive and can negatively affect your breathing.
Easy home exercises.
Training your core muscles can be done easily at home with minimal to no equipment. In order to gain a reasonable benefit, you should aim to do a workout at least 3 times per week. Begin with easy exercises – they should feel challenging but not painful. Progress the exercises as you feel able by increasing the number of repetitions, difficulty and/or hold time.
Need extra help?
If you would like to progress with more challenging exercises, feel that you can not manage the exercises without discomfort or difficulty or want to make sure you have the right technique, BOOK into to see podiatry and physiotherapy team at intraining Running Centre We are runners who specialise in running injuries and biomechanics.
SESSION 2: Exercises using your body weight
Exercises using your body weight focuses the strength training on more dynamic movements more closely resembling the movements you use when running.
The added value of body weight exercises is they can allow you to target the muscles either side of joints and major muscle attachment sites. The benefit of this is the increased loading strength you gain from a number of muscles and tendons working to move and stabilise the body. This is particularly useful when a particular muscle or tendon has been injured and you are needing to take the load from that one while at the same time regaining it’s strength.
Care does need to be taken with some of these exercises , such as with lunges, as they can over load joints, like the knee if not done in a controlled and progressive manner.
SESSION 3: How to use your ITB roller for recovery
Exercises using your body weight focuses the strength training on more dynamic movements more closely resembling the movements you use when running.
The added value of body weight exercises is they can allow you to target the muscles either side of joints and major muscle attachment sites. The benefit of this is the increased loading strength you gain from a number of muscles and tendons working to move and stabilise the body. This is particularly useful when a particular muscle or tendon has been injured and you are needing to take the load from that one while at the same time regaining its strength.
Care does need to be taken with some of these exercises, such as with lunges, as they can overload joints, like the knee if not done in a controlled and progressive manner.
