Well another month another exercise to add to your repertoire and an aid you building your core strength. Can’t wait until training recommences in a few months and spot the ones who have built up their core and take on training with relish and the ones who struggle!! 🙂
These exercises come from a series Carolyn published in 2013. She is a qualified physiotherapist. They haven’t just been made up on the fly!!
So well done to you if you have been diligent with your core and stretching. After 8 weeks, you should be starting to feel the benefit and see the change 🙂
To recap – a strong trunk (or core) gives you a good posture, helping to make your body biomechanically efficient and less at risk of injury.
And stretching helps to realign your skeleton, keeping your soft tissues at the right length and tension. Hopefully you might have got this by now.
This month’s exercise will help you to stabilise your hips whilst controlling your core. It is important that your hips can keep your pelvis level when one foot is off the ground.
Lie on your back, with your knees bent at right angles and your feet level on the floor.
Lift your bottom off the floor. Keeping your pelvis level and facing the ceiling, straighten one knee, keeping your thighs level. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower foot down. Lift other foot for 10 seconds. Lower foot and bottom. Repeat 6 times. Do not let your pelvis drop on one side.
Repeat 3 times a week. You can make it harder by placing your arms across your chest.
The stretch – the hip rotator muscles
It is very common for runners to get tight hip rotators (small muscles close to the joint that rotate your thigh and influence your knee position). This exercise stretches the hip muscles that pull your knees together, the ones that make you knock-kneed!
Lie on your back with your knees bent at right angles and your feet level on the floor. (Note: same position as the core exercise to minimise your effort!)
Place one foot on the opposite knee and gently push your knee away. Keep your bottom level on the floor and your pelvis facing the ceiling (i.e. do not rotate your trunk).
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat twice on each side.
Add this to your weekly full body stretch regime
Keep up the good work and you’ll start reaping the benefits in a few months time.