Injury Prevention & Recovery
A Brief Guide to Practices and Products
By Candace Karu
As featured in the April 2004 issue of Running Times Magazine
STRENGTH
Why Core Strength Is Important
Running is a complicated, interdependent series of miniature events that requires us to accelerate, decelerate and stabilize our center of gravity over our base of support. The most crucial part of this chain is the core of the body—the mid-back through the hips—where all movement begins and is governed. A strong core that has been developed in all three planes of motion provides the foundation for power (speed), efficiency of movement, and injury prevention.
Smart runners have always done crunches, but many of us didn’t recognize the importance of multi-directional movement in all three planes, nor did we focus much on "ab work" that challenged our stabilizing muscles. The stability ball, foam roller, and medicine ball all develop the stabilizing muscles in the spine and promote muscular strength symmetry, two important aspects of preventing lower back pain. Many runners rely on superficial core muscles instead of the deep abdominal musculature to stabilize their gaits, and this substitution often leads to decreased neuromuscular control, muscle overload, and injury. Thus, although running does develop core muscles, specific core work is a very important aspect of training for all runners.
—Sarah MacColl, ACE Elite Certified Personal Trainer
Photography by Kristin Burke / Peter Baker Studios