Whether you’re training for your first 5K, or your fastest marathon, you’ll get a pair of The best running shoes It is important. But so is following a running training plan, getting enough rest and recovery and especially strength training.
A strong core is essential for runners, as it stabilizes the body as you run, keeping your torso and spine upright, and your pelvis in the right place. And we don’t mean the external six-pack muscles—your core is made up of 29 pairs of muscles, including those deep in your midsection, like the transversus abdominis, as well as your pelvic floor muscles and erector spinae muscles. that run along the spine.
But when it comes to exercise, what are the The best ab exercises For runners, it can be overwhelming, especially if you’re already implementing an action-packed training plan. To make things a little easier, we turned to a strength and running coach Amy Haas (Opens in a new tab), which shares four of the best core exercises for runners. Read on to find out more.
What is a deep exercise for runners?
Ready for your core business? Haas recommends the following exercises. “You can start with just two rounds of 12-15 repetitions or 20 seconds of each exercise (8-10 per side for unilateral movements) and increase from there!” she writes. “It’s also helpful to incorporate these exercises at the start of other workouts as a little bit of work on mobility and stability!”
Side panels with leg lifts: For this exercise, start in a side plank position, with your body weight resting on your forearm and feet stacked on top of each other. Engage your core and lift your top leg toward the ceiling, then lower it back to the starting position. If this is too difficult, you can drop your lower knee to the floor. This is what happened when This fitness writer did side plank workouts every day for a week.
Single-leg thigh bridges: For a one-leg hip bridge, start in a hip bridge position, with your feet pressed into the mat and your knees bent. From here, straighten one leg away from your body. Pressing into the opposite foot, lift to the hip bridge and back down, squeezing your glutes the whole time.
dead insects: Start by lying on your back, with your lower back still pressed into the mat – think of sucking your belly button into your spine. Raise your arms straight above you and your knees in a tabletop position. Slowly lower your right arm to a few inches from the floor behind your head, and as you do this, extend your left leg away from your body and lower it just above the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Keep switching sides, aiming for three sets of 10 reps on each side. read more How to do a dead bug Here, plus read what happened and when I did 100 dead bugs a day for a week.
hold hold: For this exercise, start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Engage your core and lift a few inches off the floor. Stay here, then lower your back to the starting position.
All of these exercises work the deepest abdominal muscles – the transverse abdominal muscles. This is the deepest core muscle, and is key to stabilizing the spine and pelvis, but also holding the internal organs in place. When you run, your core stabilizes your body — while your arms and legs move in different planes, there is a subtle twist in your torso to allow this movement to happen. Power core has been found to improve running economy, reduce injuries, and even help runners increase speed.
However, like all good strength-training sessions, you also work different parts of the body—single-leg hip bridges target the glutes, and the bear hold works the arms and shoulders, as well as the glutes and abs. Strong glutes are also important for runners, as they can help you run harder, generating a lot of speed as you run.
Looking for more ab workout inspiration? All you need is Three exercises to sculpt your core with this circuitPlus, read what happened when The fitness editor did 100 heel clicks a day for a week. We also found a file The best running beltsthe The best running hoursand the The best sunglasses for running here.
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