When you think about the muscles you use to How to do it or How to Adjust Your Run Schedule After a Big Race, your quads are probably the first that come to mind. Fair enough, since your legs are moving the most as you run. But your core is equally as important—if it weren’t for those stabilizing muscles, you wouldn’t even be able to maintain your pace for as long as you do.
That’s why core stability exercises should be an essential part of your strength-training routine.
“Your core helps you control your body, assisting in your ability to use your arms and legs in doing essentially everything you can think of,” says Lindsey Clayton, instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp and cofounder of the Best Running Shoes 2025.
Strengthening your core will enhance your balance, she adds. “The term ‘core stability’ is simply your body’s ability to remain stable when a variable is added or taken away—for example, balancing on one leg in a plank or a football player bracing before impact,” Clayton says.
Since having core stability will significantly improve your performance, Clayton put together an eight-move workout that targets the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen.
How to do it: Move through the allotted amount of sets and reps of the exercises below, resting as needed.
- Bird Dog (3 sets of 8 reps on each side)
- Plank With Toe Tap (3 sets for 30 seconds)
- Bear Plank With Shoulder Tap (3 sets for 30 seconds)
- Woodchopper (2 sets of 12 reps on each side)
- Dead Bug (1 minute)
- Glute Bridge March (1 minute)
- Hollow Body Rock (3 sets for 30 seconds)
- Russian Twist (3 sets for 30 reps)
Bird Dog
Start on all fours, knees under hips and shoulders over wrists. Keeping back flat, extend right arm and left leg straight out. Draw right elbow and left knee toward each other, hovering just above the floor. Repeat on the other side, left arm and right leg.
Plank With Toe Tap
Start in a high plank position. Step right foot out to the side, then return to starting position. Then step left food out to the side and return to starting position. Continue to alternate.
Bear Plank With Shoulder Tap
Start on the floor on your hands and knees. Keeping your back flat and your butt down, lift your knees off the ground a few inches. Bring left arm across chest to tap right shoulder, then return to starting position. Then bring right arm across chest to tap left shoulder, then return to starting position. Continue to alternate.
Woodchopper
Start in a lunge position—right leg out in front—holding a dumbbell (weight of your choice) above your left shoulder with both hands. Then, forcefully bring the dumbbell diagonally down across your body so it’s now near your right knee. Bring the dumbbell diagonally back up across your body. Repeat on the other side (left leg out in front, dumbbell above right shoulder).
Dead Bug
Lie faceup with your arms extended toward the ceiling. With knees bent at 90 degrees, keep your shoulders down and feet flexed. Engage your core and extend your right arm and right leg away from you. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side (left arm and left leg).
Glute Bridge March
Lie faceup with knees bent and feet on floor. Engage glutes to send hips straight up into a glute bridge. Keeping knee bent, draw right foot up, then return to starting position. Repeat with left foot and continue to alternate.
Hollow Body Rock
Lie faceup with your legs straight, knees together, and toes pointed forward. Extend your arms past your head. Tighten your core while pressing your lower back into the floor. Move your hands and feet up, keep the legs and arms straight. Bring your chest and legs off the ground and rock forward and back without changing body position.
Russian Twist
Holding a dumbbell at your stomach, sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet off the floor. Lean back so that your torso and upper body are at a 45-degree angle. With elbows bent and hands grasping each side of the dumbbell, rotate your torso from one side to the other.
