Written by Luke Cancilla, PT, DPT
Importance of Core Strengthening
Intuitively, many runners acknowledge that doing some strength training in addition to their running is an important component of their overall training for races and to become a better runner. Strength training can make you more efficient, tolerate increased training load, and reduce your injury risk. But you may be asking yourself “why is there such an emphasis on core strengthening for runners?” During a race, the goal of running performance is to quickly and efficiently move forward at your highest level of aerobic capacity. This is why we train. In its simplest form, running performance relies on your ability to efficiently transfer forces between the ground and focal parts of your body to move forward. Failure to effectively transfer these forces with each step and motion will decrease performance come race day as well as may increase your risk of injury during your training.
So let’s talk about your core.
Functional Anatomy
Your “core” muscles are made up of many muscles that are along your hips, pelvis, abdomen, and spine. The core can be thought of as a 3-dimension space within the lumbopelvic-hip complex, or thought of as a can of coke, that is bordered by the diaphragm (superior), abdominal and oblique muscles (antero-lateral), paraspinal and glutes (posterior) and pelvic floor muscles (inferior).
Collectively, these muscles are responsible for providing stability to the joints of your spine, to absorb forces effectively, and to transfer forces throughout the body. Historically, the muscles of this region have been categorized as local and global stabilizers. Muscles such as the transversus abdominis and lumbar multifidi have been considered local while muscles such as the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, obliques, and rectus abdominis have been classified as global stabilizers. It is believed that the local muscles of your core work primarily to eccentrically maintain control of the spine while the global stabilizers control your trunk in coordination with movement of your extremities to produce large torques and power your next movements. In the clinic, we often promote improving your proximal stability to enhance your distal mobility for this particular reason. Research has repeatedly shown that individuals, including athletes, who experience low back pain, hip pain, groin and thigh pain, often demonstrate asymmetries in the local stabilizers as well as delayed muscle activation of the transversus abdominis compared to healthy individuals.
Core Slings
In addition to the view of these two camps of muscles making up your core, a growing body of evidence is emerging that suggests your core muscles work as slings with one another in specific pairings. These slings are viewed as connections between groups of core muscles that work synergistically to provide stability and transfer forces across multiple joints while the local muscles (multifidi and transversus abdominis) provide local stability. Within your core, there are four primary slings. Two lateral, one anterior oblique, and one posterior oblique. The lateral slings are made up of your internal oblique muscle and the gluteus medius muscle of the same side of the body. Your posterior oblique sling consists of the latissimus dorsi muscle and the gluteus maximus of the opposite side of the body while your anterior oblique sling is made up of your external oblique and hip adductors of the other leg.
Lateral Sling Posterior Oblique Sling Anterior Oblique Sling
Strengthening Your Core
An effective core strengthening program for runners should consist of a variety of exercises across a spectrum of targets. For runners, it is important to include motor control exercises, global muscle exercises, as well as rotational based exercises in a progressive manner. Motor control exercises are more ‘basic’ exercises that emphasize the neuromuscular control of the local stabilizer muscles. These types of exercises include abdominal hallowing, abdominal bracing, and diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Global muscle exercises emphasize the co-contraction and coordination of local and global stabilizers together. These types of exercises include side planks, bird dogs, curl ups, and front planks. Rotational based exercises emphasize dynamic rotational movements. These are your more functional based core strengthening exercises that promote the slings of your core. These exercises include side-lying thoracic rotations, bird dog rows, dead bug with resistance, side plank rotations, and half-kneeling chops.
Your core strengthening program should not solely include exercises from one of these three categories. Core stability should be trained in a progressive fashion, beginning with local muscle recruitment, moving to core stabilization in a variety of postures, and then transitioning into total body dynamic movements. A successful progressive program progresses through each of these categories of exercises towards dynamic functional activities that challenge you. Various progressions can be used to increase the intensity of exercises and the demands on your muscles.
To effectively improve your core strength, add these types of strengthening exercises into your routine and continue running! Your body adapts to the stresses that you put onto it. If you are like many and find it difficult to find time for additional strengthening exercises on top of a daily run, check this post that includes a quick and effective 10 minute core routine for runners!
References
Brumitt J, Matheson JW, Meira EP. Core stabilization exercise prescription, part I: current concepts in assessment and intervention. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):504-9. doi: 10.1177/1941738113502451. PMID: 24427424; PMCID: PMC3806181.
Brumitt J, Matheson JW, Meira EP. Core stabilization exercise prescription, part 2: a systematic review of motor control and general (global) exercise rehabilitation approaches for patients with low back pain. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):510-3. doi: 10.1177/1941738113502634. PMID: 24427425; PMCID: PMC3806182.
Catania B, Ross T, Sandella B, Bley B, DiTrani Lobacz A. Clinical Assessment and Thickness Changes of the Oblique and Multifidus Muscles Using a Novel Screening Tool and Exercise Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Sport Rehabil. 2020 Jul 28;30(3):384-394. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2019-0156. PMID: 32723925.
Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):514-22. doi: 10.1177/1941738113481200. PMID: 24427426; PMCID: PMC3806175.