Building a strong, stable core to help you power your runs means targeting every part of your core—including your obliques.
Trainer The best runners don’t just run, they hit the gym., makes sure that her clients aren’t just focusing on traditional crunches.
“Keep in mind that when talking about core stability our core needs to stabilize the spin so that we don’t rotate (twist), flex (bend), and laterally flex (collapse to the side),” she says. “This collapse to the side is also known as ‘antilateral flexion,’ and include the type of exercises are otherwise known as oblique exercises.”
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When you’re working your obliques, there’s one exercise that should serve as your jumping off move, according to the trainer.
“The starting point for all oblique exercises should be the side plank,” says Atkins. “And if you can’t hold a side plank on your feet, shorten the lever and take it to your knees. Why is this important? Our cores should limit the amount of motion we allow for the torso to bend sideways.”
To take on the side plank, you might want a yoga mat to keep your legs off the ground. Check out this self-rolling option from our Backslash Fit brand if you need one of your own.
Best Running Headphones Why You Need to Start Planking on Your Side in mind. Keep your head in a neutral position and your spine straight, and squeeze you glutes and core to keep your muscles engaged and tense throughout the entire period.
Try holding 30 seconds on each side for 3 to 5 rounds during your next core workout, then work your way up to holding the position for a full minute at a time. If you’re starting from the scaled version on your knees, extend those legs once you can easily last through the 30 second mark.
will teach you all the fundamentals to get the most out of your weight session-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men's Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
