Core strength is an underrated quality in long-distance running. Without that foundational core strength, it’s easy to let your form slip in the second half of long races. Your hips sag, and you become less efficient and even more fatigued.
Working on this core strength and endurance is beneficial for everyone, not just runners, because it applies to all kinds of other sports, workouts mand general life.
In the past I’ve slogged through 40-minute core workouts used by elite athletes, but I neither have the time nor the motivation to do them regularly, so when I saw this 12-minute core workout used by elite runner Phily Bowden, I gave it a go straight away.
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You don’t need any equipment for the workout, but using one of the best yoga mats will make it more comfortable on hard floors.
Watch Phily Bowden’s 12-minute core workout
Bowden leads you through the workout and gives some tips both while doing so and through a voiceover at times.
For each move, you work for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds while getting into position for the next exercise.
You do two rounds of the same six exercises, and there’s a short warm-up and cool-down to follow in the video, so the total time is around 15 minutes if you include those.
It’s all about building core endurance
This is not a core workout designed to produce rippling abs (though it won’t hurt if that is your aim), but instead to build endurance in your midsection.
As a result, the aim is to move slowly and with purpose through each exercise, focusing on holding your position with some parts of the body while moving others.
Getting your form right is the most important aspect of each move, and I had to focus on not rushing and making sure I stayed in the right position throughout each 40-second work period.
It encourages core stability while moving
Many of the exercises Bowden has selected are great for improving core stability when running; they target one side of the body at a time and involve holding a braced position while moving your arms and legs.
Moves like dead bugs, bird dogs, plank shoulder taps all help you to build endurance in your midsection, so it doesn’t sag or twist while moving your limbs, which applies directly to running — in the later stages of long races like marathons you want your core to stay strong so your hips don’t dip and you can maintain your running form through to the finish.
Dying turtles are great
I’ve been working in fitness journalism for a long time, so it’s rare that I come across an exercise I’ve not at least heard of before, but the dying turtle is a new one for me.
The exercise is a challenging progression of the dead bug that involves pressing on one knee, so your core has to work against that pressure while you move the opposite arm and leg.
While I don’t like to think about dying turtles, I enjoyed the move as an effective way to target the core in a short space of time, and it’s one I’ll be adding to more workouts in the future.
It’s approachable for most fitness levels
Bowden is a pro runner, but this session is not just one for elites. It’s not designed to leave you absolutely wrecked, but instead to build foundational strength that supports your running through a session that’s easy to add to a busy training routine.
It’s a short workout with pretty long rests, and I think most people who have done core training before could complete it fairly comfortably, even if you have to pause for an extra rest here and there.
You can add it to the beginning or end of a run
I sometimes struggle to find the motivation to do my strength training, but I find that one of the most effective ways to ensure it gets done is to do short sessions like this before or after my run.
I’m already changed and motivated to train, and it feels like part of the same workout I already had planned, rather than a whole extra session I need to fit in.
This workout is quick enough to do alongside a run during a lunch break, and won’t tire out your legs at all ahead of that run if you do it beforehand.
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