What is the core and why should runners train it?
No, its not just your abs 6 pack muscles, its everything that extends from your diaphragm (right under your chest) all the way to your pelvic floor and wraps around your front, sides, and back. Another Common misconception is that having a six pack mean you have a really strong core, which isn’t actually accurate.
The core is a muscle just like any other muscle in our body. While having a six pack sounds impressive it doesn’t mean your core is strong enough to do what your asking it to do.
Why do i need to train my core for running?
- your core is what stabilizes not only your spine but your hips as well.
- Imagine trying to run and your hips are shifting all over the place
- this happens because your core isn’t strong enough to hold your hips stable while absorbing the impact from the ground
- the next thing you know is that your hips and back start to feel a little more sore after every run and before long your back is killing you
Now how do train our core in a dynamic way?
Suite case carry with a march:
- what you’ll need:
- a kettlebell, dumbbell, or really just anything heavy
- Hold the kettlebell or whatever object you have in one arm
- making sure your hips are level and shoulder square
- having your hand on your hip can also help prevent leaning one way or the other as well as with balance
Next the march
- while marching in place sounds easy it can actually be performed incorrectly relatively easily
- as your knee raises directly in front of you (not off to the side)
- focus on pointing your toes up as well
- this can be done either statically (standing in one place) or dynamically (walking forward)
This really focuses on showing you how strong your core needs to be for your runs as you’ll definitely be able to feel it. Start with a light weight and if you aren’t feeling anything you can start to add weight.
We recommend either doing its with someone or in front of a mirror as its VERY easy to think your straight but you actually end up leaning way over to one side.
