THE LINK BETWEEN HIPS AND ARMS
Core Training for Runners: Why It Isn't About Sit-Ups, and the 5 Moves That Actually Help.
A strong core for running has very little to do with abs and a lot to do with not collapsing in the last 5K. Here's the version that holds your form together when fatigue tries to take it apart.
"Core" is one of the most overused words in fitness, and one of the most under-trained things in running. When most beginners hear "core work" they picture sit-ups and crunches. That's not what runners need. Runners need a core that resists movement, holds posture, and keeps the kinetic chain connected from foot to shoulder for hours of repetition.
This is the beginner's guide to core training for runners. We'll cover what the core actually is, why it matters specifically for running, the five moves that earn their place in your week, and how often to do them.
What the Core Actually Is
The "core" isn't your six-pack. It's a much bigger system that includes:
- The deep abdominals (transverse abdominis)
- The obliques (sides of the trunk)
- The glutes (yes, glutes are part of the core)
- The lower back muscles (erector spinae)
- The diaphragm and pelvic floor
Together these muscles do one main job for a runner: they keep the trunk stable so the legs and arms can move efficiently against it. When the core is weak, the trunk wobbles, the hips drop with every step, and energy leaks out sideways instead of going forward. Multiply that across 10,000 steps and you've got a slower, more tired runner.
FREQUENCY
2-3x
per week
TIME
10 MIN
per session is enough
CRUNCHES
0
needed for runners
Why Sit-Ups Don't Cut It
Sit-ups train the core in flexion (curling forward). Running doesn't ask the core to flex forward. Running asks the core to stay stable while the legs move underneath it and the arms swing alongside it. That's a completely different job.
The training principle is called "anti-movement." A strong runner's core resists three things: anti-extension (stops the lower back arching), anti-rotation (stops the trunk twisting too much), and anti-lateral flexion (stops the body collapsing sideways). Every move that follows trains one of those three things. None of them are crunches.
The 5 Moves That Earn Their Place
MOVE 1
Plank with shoulder taps
Standard plank position, but tap one shoulder at a time with the opposite hand. The challenge isn't the plank, it's keeping the hips perfectly still while one arm comes up. 3 sets of 10 taps each side. Trains anti-rotation.
MOVE 2
Side plank with leg lift
Side plank on the elbow, hips off the floor, then lift the top leg up to about 30 degrees and hold. 30 seconds each side, 3 rounds. Trains anti-lateral flexion and the glute medius (the hip-stabilising muscle that runners desperately need).
MOVE 3
Dead bug
Lie on your back, arms straight up, knees and hips at 90 degrees. Lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg straight to the floor (without touching), return, swap. 10 each side, 3 sets. The single best anti-extension exercise for runners.
MOVE 4
Pallof press
Stand sideways to a resistance band or cable, hold the band at chest height, press it straight out and resist the rotation pull, hold for 5 seconds, return. 10 reps each side, 3 sets. Specifically trains the anti-rotation pattern your trunk does every running stride.
MOVE 5
Single-leg glute bridge
Lie on your back, one foot flat on the floor, the other leg extended straight. Drive the foot through the floor to lift hips up. 12 reps each side, 3 sets. Glutes count as core for runners, and this is the move that wakes them up.
The 10-Minute Routine
You don't need 30 minutes of core work. The full routine takes 10 minutes if you do it efficiently:
- Plank with shoulder taps: 3 x 10 each side
- Side plank with leg lift: 3 x 30 seconds each side
- Dead bug: 3 x 10 each side
- Pallof press: 3 x 10 each side
- Single-leg glute bridge: 3 x 12 each side
Do this twice a week alongside your running. Three times a week if running volume is low. Quality over quantity, every time.
The Two Common Mistakes
MISTAKE 1
Doing it after the run, exhausted
If you're already smashed from a long run, your form on these will be terrible and the work won't transfer to better running. Do core work on its own, or before strength sessions, when you can actually focus on quality.
MISTAKE 2
Holding the breath
If you're holding your breath through every plank or dead bug, you're cheating the diaphragm out of its job. Breathe slowly throughout. Inhale on the easier phase, exhale on the harder phase. Breathing IS part of core training.
The Bottom Line
A strong core is the difference between holding form at mile 20 and falling apart at mile 18. It's also the cheapest insurance against the lower-back ache, hip drop and IT band issues that derail beginner runners.
10 minutes, twice a week, five moves, all anti-movement. Skip the crunches. Skip the 30-minute YouTube ab workouts. Do the boring stuff that actually transfers to a smoother, faster, more durable run.
CORE WORK, BUILT IN
The 10 Minutes That Hold Your Running Together
Edge programmes the right anti-movement core work alongside your running, with sets, reps and progressions that adjust as you get stronger. No separate ab plan, no guesswork.
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