Training your Stabilisers

Without applying a great deal of thought, we are able to run. There are signals sent from the brain throughout the body telling our legs to get going. Have you ever notice then, what the rest of your body is doing, whilst running? When you watch runner's such as Craig Mottram or Emma Snowsill run on the television, do you notice their running techique? The torso appears strong and upright allowing for greater oxygen intake. By correctly activating the stabilising muscles in their trunk or core, they are able to conserve energy.

The stabilsing muscles I'm talking about are the muscles beneath your 6 pack, the deep abdominal muscles; Transversus Abdominis (TA), Multifidus (MF), Internal Oblique (IO), Paraspinal and your pelvic floor. Without making a conscious effort, these muscles are recruited in everday tasks. Imagine the effects and benefits you will gain through training your body to correctly activate these muscles. Creating a strong core and stabilising your spine during dynamic movements such as running. For those runners that may suffer from back pain, this could possibly be the answer you were looking for.

Each month a new session will be posted, with different exercises all aimed at helping you improve your core strength and training your deep abdominal muscles to activate correctly.

Let's go Navy Runner's, if you haven't already added this into your training, join the ride and explore the different training avenues that will make you a better runner. We will start out basic for a couple of months, then slowly progress into more challenging movements.

Terminology:
Repetitions = the amount of times you repeat and exercise.

Basic Core Training Session #1
Equipment: Nil
Venue: Where ever you like

Warm Up:
1. Gradual increase from a brisk walk to a very light jog for 5 minutes.
2. Stretch your Hip flexors, Lower back, Gluteus Maximus, Groin for 2-3 seconds each stretch.
3. Now it's time to learn how to correctly activate those core muscles;
3.1 Lying on your back with knees bent, feet on the ground. Trunk completly relaxed.
3.2 Exhale, whilst drawing your belly button in towards your spine, hold this position for 10 seconds and continue to breathe. It's important that your not allowing your outer abdominal muscles to do all the work, monitor the appearence of these muscles if they are tense, relax and start again. Remember to continue breathing!!
* During the session if you are asked to activate your core, repeat step 3 of the warm up.

SESSION:
Exercise One -
1. Practice activating your core, tensing your deep abdominals and holding it for 10seconds at a time x 5.

Exercise Two - HIP ROLL
1. Lying on your back, bend knees at 90 degrees and leave them raised in the air.
2. Activate your core, and place hands on the ground either side of your torso for support.
3. Roll your legs down towards the right hand side of your body, until they are just above the ground.
4. Focus now on using your deep abdominals and roll legs back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat step 4, this time rolling to the left.
Duration: continue to roll left and right - pausing at the centre - for 40 seconds

Exercise Three - LYING KNEE RAISE
1. Lying on your back, feet on the ground.
2. Place your hands in the small of your back (or the lower curve in your spine)
3. Activate your core muscles. You want to feel your spine slightly touching the backs of your hands. This position must be maintained during this exercise.
4. Inhale while simutaneously raising both bent legs towards the chest.
5. Now exhale and slowly lower legs back down towards the ground, stopping inches above it. ** It's important that you keep that strong contraction in your core, if your hands remain in contact with your spine you are doing it right, if however, your back arches, your core muscles are no longer controlling the movement.
Duration: 10-15 repetitions

Exercise Four - SIDE PLANK
1. Lying on the right side on your body, creating a straight line from your shoulders through to your ankles.
2. Position your right elbow under your shoulder joint and place your feet together (by placing left on top of right)
3. Activate your core and push down through that right elbow and the outside of you right foot and raise your body off the ground. Aim to maintain your body's poistion as if it were a plank of wood.
4. Swap sides and repeat on your left.
Duration: 30-40 seconds on each side.

Exercise Five - REVERSE CRUNCH
1. Lying on your back,legs extended. Hands positioned beside hips for stability.
2. Activate your core and tuck knees up towards your chest, once there pulse hips up off the ground, feet moving towards the sky.
3. Exhale, SLOWLY lowering and simulataneously extend your legs out straight keeping them raised just above the ground.
Duration: 10-15 repetitions

Exercise Six - PUSH UPS
We all have the pleasure of performing this exercise during Staff PT Classes or the RANPFT, so everyone will be aware of the correct position. For the purpose of this session, there are two options; on your toes or knees.
Push ups on Toes:
1. Hands shoulder width apart, one leg straight resting on the ball of your foot, the other knee resting on the ground.
2. Activate your core, creating a strong mid section and come up onto both feet.
Your body will now be in a plank, straight from shoulders through hips to your ankles.
3. Inhale and lower down until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. (if your core is activated your hips will not sag, nor will you be cheating by arching them)
4. Exhale and push yourself back up to the start position

Push ups on your Knees:
This is much the same as the above, the only difference being it's on your knees. Ensure you still maintain a straight line through your body from your shoulders through your hips to your knees. Avoid bend your hips when lowering or raising, stay strong through your core!!

Duration for both: 10-15 repetitions


Completing the above exercises once = one circuit.
Once you have completed your first circuit, have a 2 minute rest. Repeat the above a further 2-3 times rest for 2 minutes at the end of each circuit.

Finish your sessions with a decent stretch, holding each for 20-30 seconds. Remember, when stretching focus on the muscles you have just used in the session.

Happy Training!!