I promised you the stretch to help with the exercises
Courtesy of Carolyn.
Good posture and body control help you to run efficiently and help to avoid injuries. You can add to the exercises regime.. So we are going to sit up and stretch!
Sit up
Strong abdominal muscles are essential for a strong body. They help stabilize your torso, which reduces aches and pains in your lower back and hips. Abdominal exercises will strengthen not only your bones and muscles of the back, but they’ll also strengthen your entire midsection-which takes weight and pressure off your back. Properly building up your core cranks up the power. A strong core also enhances balance and stability. So if you want abs like this, follow the regime for 2020!
However, subcutaneous belly fat lies above the abdominal muscles, and will hide your washboard stomach! Abdominal exercises alone will not trim your tummy fat. Your genetics, diet, and overall activity level determine the amount of fat stored in the abdominal area. The best way to reduce abdominal fat is a combination of aerobic and strength training exercise, plus eating only the amount of calories you need each day for your gender, age, and activity level…
And stretch…
You can never have enough stretches! . Running is a repetitive action, repetitively contracting the same muscles. Contracting a muscle shortens it and so it needs stretching out after use. If you don’t stretch, over time muscles will permanently shorten, pulling your joints out of line, creating weakness and imbalance in your muscle systems. This will lead to wear and tear in your joints and soft tissue injuries.
It also means that you won’t run as fast and that your rivals will get the better of you. You have been warned!!
The Crunch
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Pull in your tummy button but do NOT move your back. You need a neutral spine, neither arched nor flattened.
2. Raise your head until your shoulder blades leave the floor, pulling your rib cage towards your pelvis. Breathe out on the way up, and in on the way down. Keep your lower back in a neutral position (this is the difficult bit that requires control) and your chin tucked in.
Repeat 30 reps slowly.
The Stretch – hip flexors (rectus femoris and iliopsoas)
Pull one knee to your chest, holding behind the knee. Tilt your pelvis back to flatten your spine against the floor. Keep your back flat whilst you stretch your other leg out along the floor. Feel the stretch at the front of your hip on your outstretched side.
Hold still for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.