Top 21 Best Core Exercises For Runners in [2023]

As a runner, you may feel core exercises are not really required.

If you think so, then my friend, you are terribly wrong.

You may not want to flaunt your abs as a runner, but you surely need the correct form to keep you going.

Your core comprises –  abdominal muscles, lower back muscles, obliques, and glutes.

Core exercises help runners in many ways

• Stronger abs help you run faster.
• Strengthening the obliques gives you better running form
• It improves your stability and reduces the chance of injury
• Strengthening the lower back reduces the chances of back pain.

If you are a beginner, the core exercises may be a little difficult initially but with practice, you will definitely master them.

So, here in this post, I am sharing some of the common core exercises.

Related:

13 Best Hamstring And Glute Strengthening Exercises For Runners

20-minute Bodyweight Workout For Runners

21 Best Beginner Core Exercises for Runners

1. Crunches

Benefits: 

Abs strengthening

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Your hands should be stretched above the shoulders
• Inhale and lift your body and try to touch your toes.
• Exhale and go back to the starting position.
• Repeat 2 sets of 10-15 counts each.
• If you are able to do this easily, you can try the other advanced crunches too.

Related: 

• Hip Flexors Strengthening For Runners
• Is Resistance Training Required With Running?

2. Toe Reach

Benefits:

Strengthen lower abs and back flexibility

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Raise your legs such that it is at 90 degrees to your upper body.
• Inhale and lift your body and try to touch your toes.
• Exhale and come back to the starting position.
• Repeat is for 10-15 times, 2 sets.
• To make it more challenging, hold a 1 lb or 2 lb dumbbell in your hand.
• If you are finding it difficult to touch your toes, try touching your shin bone or ankles.

3. Leg Raise

Benefits:

Works on the abs and thighs

Steps

• Lie on a mat on your back.
• Your hands should be by the side.
• Raise your legs to 90 degrees and bring it down slowly such that it does not touch the floor.
• Keep your legs straight and knee should not be bent.
• Repeat it 10-15 times, 2 sets.
• Other variations could be raising the leg to 60 degrees or 45 degrees.

Related:

• How to avoid running overuse injuries?
• Skinny But Slow Runner? How to become faster?

4. Leg Rotation

Benefits:

Abs strengthening

Steps

• Lie on the floor on your back.
• Keep your hands by your side.
• Keep your legs together and lift it up 90 degrees to your body.
• Rotate your legs anticlockwise to take one complete round.
• Breathe normally while you rotate your legs.
• Repeat 10 rounds anticlockwise and 10 clockwise.

5. Scissors

Benefits:

Abs strengthening

Steps

• Lie down on the mat on your back and hands by your side.
• Lift your right leg at 60 degrees and the left leg should be a little above the ground.
• Bring your right leg down a little above ground and lift your left leg to 60 degrees.
• Make sure you do not bend your knee.
• Breathe normally.
• Repeat this for 10-15 counts on each leg, 2 sets.

6. Ankle Touch

Benefits:

Works on the abs and oblique muscles

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Fold your knees and keep your feet on the floor.
• Engage your core and lift up your shoulder plates and hands by your sides.
• Bend your upper body to the left side from your waist and try to touch your left ankle with your left hand.
• Come to the starting position.
• Bend your upper body to the right side from your waist and try to touch your right ankle with your right hand.
• Repeat by touching the ankles 10 times each side, 2 sets.

7. Bicycle Crunches

Benefits:

Works on the abs and oblique muscles

Steps

• Lie flat on the mat on your back.
• Put your hands under your head, your feet should be at the tabletop position and your shoulder blades off the ground.
• Pull your right towards your chest and stretch your left leg at around 45 degrees.
• Twist your upper body to the right side.
• Make sure to turn your body from the ribcage and not just head.
• Repeat the above steps by turning the opposite side.
• Repeat 10 repetitions on each side and do 2 sets.

8. Bridge & Single Leg Bridge

Benefits:

Works on the abs, lower back, and glutes.

Steps

• Lie down on the mat on your back and hands by your sides.
• Keep your feet hip-distance apart and fold your knees, such that it’s off the ground.
• Raise your hips such that your body from the shoulder to the knee is a straight line.
• Your feet should be planted on the ground.
• Hold in this position for 30 sec.
• Repeat 3-5 times.
• If you are able to this, raise one leg at 45 degrees, hold in this position.
• Repeat this with the other leg.

9. Superman

Benefits:

Works on the abs and lower back

Steps

• Lie on the mat with your face facing the ground.
• Your hand should be outstretched in front of you.
• Lift your hands and upper body and legs a few inches from the ground.
• Hold in this position for 30 sec and return back to the starting position.
• Repeat it 3-5 times.

10. Woodchopper

Benefits:

This is a multi-muscle workout. It works on shoulders, abs, obliques, glutes, upper back, lower back, quads, hamstring, and abductors.

Steps

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Hold a 2 lb or 4 lb dumbbell or a medicine ball with your hands.
• Keep your core engaged straight back and bend your knee a little.
• Bend and lower the dumbbell near the right leg calf muscle.
• Move your hands across your body and outstretch your hands above your left shoulder.
• Repeat is 10 times each side, 2 sets.
• You can adjust the dumbbells according to your capability.

11. Russian Twist

Benefits:

Works on the abs and oblique muscles

Steps

• Sit on the mat with your knee bent and feet firmly planted on the ground.
• Your upper body should be bent such that it makes a “V” with your thighs.
• Hold a 2lb or 4 lb dumbbells in your hand.
• Breathe in and twist your torso to the right side of your body and fist near your waist.
• Breathe out and come back to the starting position.
• Repeat it by turning your torso to the left side.
• Repeat it for 10 counts on each side, 2 sets
• If it is difficult to do with dumbbells, just ditch it or adjust the weights.

12. Plank

Benefits:

This is one of the best core exercises and works on your abs, lower back, and glutes.

Steps

•  Lie on the mat facing the ground.
• Your upper arm should be perpendicular to the ground with your elbow right below your shoulders.
• Your wrist should be in line with your elbow.
• Engage your core, squeeze your butt and front thigh and lift your body.
• Your body should maintain a straight line from head to heel and the back should not be bumped.
• Breathe normally and hold this position for 30 sec.
• Repeat it 2-3 times.
• You can adjust the time as required.

13. Side Plank

Works on the abs, lower back, and oblique muscles

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your left sides.
• Keep tour legs together, your left elbow should be under your left shoulder and right hand on your waist.
• Engage your core and lift your body such that your body is in a straight line from head to heel.
• Hold in this position for 15 sec or more.
• Repeat the steps lying on your right side.

14. Reverse Plank

Benefits:

Works on the abs, back, glutes, and hamstrings.

Steps

• Sit on the mat with your legs stretched forward.
• Your hands should be next to the hips and palms touching the ground.
• Engage your core, squeeze your butt, and lift your hips with the support of your hands and legs.
• Keep your heels fixed on the floor.
• Your body should be in a straight line from shoulder to heel.
• Stay in this position for 15 sec or more.
• Repeat the steps 2-3 times.

15. Metronome

Benefits:

Works on the abs, back,  and obliques.

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Your legs your be in the table-top position.
• Stretch your hands to both sides of the shoulders.
• Rotate your legs to the right side and try to bring the knee close to the ground.
• Go back to the starting position.
• Repeat the same while rotating your legs on the left side.
• Repeat the 10 times each side, 2 sets.

17. Mountain Climbers

Benefits:

A multi-muscle exercise that works abs, obliques, biceps, triceps, chest, quad, hamstrings, and hip abductors

Steps

• Put both hands and knees on the floor.
• Keep your right knee near your right hand and extend your left leg backward.
• In one smooth motion switch your left leg forward and right leg backward.
• Repeat the same by moving each leg forward 10-15 times.
• Perform 2 sets.

18. Single Leg Stretch

Benefits:

Works on the abs

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your mat.
• Keep your legs at the table-top position and hands by the knees.
• Exhale and lift your head and shoulder plates above the ground.
• Inhale to maintain this position (starting position).
• Keep your core engaged, exhale, and extend your right leg.
• Inhale and switch the leg.
• Repeat it by extending each leg 10 times, 2 sets.
• If you are able to do this, you can increase the challenge by extending your leg lower.

19. Single leg circle

Benefits:

Works on your abs and hip flexors.

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Keep your hands by the sides and legs in the table-top position
• Extend left leg starting and make sure your knee is not bent.
• Take small circles with your toe clockwise
• Make 5 circles clockwise and 5 circles anticlockwise.
• Repeat the same with the right leg.
• Perform 2 sets.
• Ensure to keep your core engaged and breathe normally.

20. Lemon Squeezers

Benefits:

Works on your abs and glutes.

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Keep your hands extended over your shoulders.
• Lift your hands and legs a little above the ground(this is the starting position).
• Crunch and bring your knees close to your chest and bring your hands to hold the calves.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat 10 times, 2 sets.

21. Alternate Arms Toe Touch

Benefits:

Works on your abs and obliques

Steps

• Lie on the mat on your back.
• Keep your hands by the sides
• In a single motion lift your left leg to 60 degrees and try to touch with the right hand.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat the exercise with alternate arm and leg.
• Repeat 10 times with each alternate arm -leg, 2 sets

References

https://www.coachmag.co.uk/core-workouts/3456/a-core-workout-for-runners

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/g28095895/abs-workout-beginners/

https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20846293/beginner-core-strength-routine/

https://www.runnersblueprint.com/core-exercises-every-runner-should-do/

https://www.active.com/running/articles/6-core-exercises-for-beginning-runners

https://www.active.com/running/articles/13-essential-core-exercises-for-runners

https://www.self.com/story/abs-workout-for-running

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