There's More to a Strong Core Than a Crunch

A few days ago, I posted how sitting all day can cause "office-chair-itis"(sitting keeps your hip flexors in a flexed position causing you to feel stiff, even bent over when you try to stand after sitting for a long while). Several exercises and stretches were given to help relax and free-up those hip flexor muscles.

All that talk about hip flexors made me remember that another reason people often get sore hip flexors is from over use. Can you guess one cause of over-used hip flexor muscles? I'll give you a clue. Guys like to do these to get rid of that beer gut before the beach season and the gals like doing tons of these before trying on that bikini. Any ideas? Okay, okay, I'll tell ya. CRUNCHES! Crunches will help give you that defined six pack, but actually a crunch or situp really works the hip flexors just as much if not more than the abs. Stand up. Bend over. Stand straight-up again. You've just flexed your hips. Same motion as laying on the ground and lifting your torso toward your knees, isn't it?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing crunches, but they shouldn't be your only source of core work for two reasons. First, because crunches work the hip flexors just as much (if not more) as your abs, you can run the risk of over use and then injury of the hip flexors. Think about it. If you're a runner logging 25-50 miles a week and then on top of that you're doing hundreds of crunches a week, you're working those poor hip flexors of yours to smithereens! Secondly, if crunches are your only source of core work, you may end up with pretty abs, but you won't have a very strong/solid core. The core has a front, a back, and two sides. If all you work is the front, you're going to create a muscle imbalance. Some individuals who do nothing but crunches have actually caused themselves to hunch forward. The abdominal muscles are so tight and the back and side muscles are so weak that the torso is pulled forward, giving a hunched appearance. There's not equal strength in the opposing muscle groups to counteract this pulling motion. So they slump. Probably not the look they're shooting for.

Core work should have a balanced approach that involves all the core muscles—the erector spinae muscles, obliques, lats, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis (the abs). Specific exercises can be used to target each group, but you can also get some great workouts hitting all those groups simultaneously using simple equipment like a medicine ball. Planks are a great isometric exercise for core strength and all you need is a mat!

What you want to shoot for are exercises that are functional. What that means is you want exercises that mimic the types of movement that you make is real life. Think about it. How often do you crunch your torso toward your knees each day? Probably not very often. But how often do you twist, turn, reach straight up, reach up diagonally? Pretty often, huh? Everyone can benefit from a stronger core. Your core is the source of energy for your legs and arms. If your core fatigues, then so too will your appendages. This is very important to runners. If you run with a weak core, you run the risk of fatiguing much sooner during an endurance event. Once your core is fatigued and you begin to lose good running form, then everything else will begin to fall apart.

Good news is that solid core work doesn't have to be an every day event. Actually research shows that your core will benefit from a little rest in between workouts. Every other day is a good routine to shoot for, but if you're just starting out, try two times a week (not on consecutive days) and then work your way up to every other day. Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you're not doing an official "core workout" you can still get in good core muscle work during your other workouts. When you're doing those dumbbell curls, make sure your core muscles are engaged and taut. When you're doing a deadlift, engage those core muscles. When you're doing tricep kickbacks, engage those core muscles. Not only will you get a good workout of the core muscles when doing this, you'll also improve your form for those "other" exercises.

For some core workout ideas, check out the video clips below.

Got Office-Chair-Itis?

Have you ever had this experience? You're sitting at your desk all day....8-10hrs later you try to stand up.....your body's seems permanently forged into the sitting position.....it takes several steps around your office before your back straightens and your knees unlock.

I have to admit I have. Most likely, if you're reading this post, you're a runner, triathlete, cyclist, or in some way active and fit or working towards fitness. Imagine now, that you're not an active person and you sit in the same position, day after day, week after week, month after month. Not a good picture, huh? Sitting at a desk and working on a computer all day is often the culprit and cause of bad posture. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First, if you're not active and exercising during your non work time, then you're not going to have the muscular endurance to sit all day. Yep, that's right—muscular endurance for sitting. Your core muscles, such as the erector spinae muscles, the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, latissimus dorsi, and oblique muscles are mainly made of type 1 muscle tissue. They're the epitome of endurance muscles because they're always "on" working to keep you upright as well as to hold in all your "innards!" Well, if you're not actively working to keep your core strong, then it can take a toll on those muscles and eventually gravity wins and you begin to slump (usually forward in the direction of your computer screen). [Click here] for a good workout for your core using a medicine ball.

Secondly, because you spend so many hours in the seated position, you can get tight hip flexors. There are several muscles that make up the hip flexors most of which originate on the ilium (your hip bone) or pubic bone and insert at various places on the upper and lower leg bones. These muscles help you flex at the hip. When you sit, you're actually in a flexed position. So, after 8-10+ hours of being in this flexed position, your muscles tend to stay flexed when you try to stand up. That's a big reason why you're slumped forward when you try to get up. Eventually you're able to loosen your hip flexors and stand up. Over time, however, you can actually start to have a slight forward pelvic tilt. Over even more time, that tilt can become even more pronounced.

Good news is that most people can correct and/or prevent this just by strengthening their core and adding hip flexor stretches and exercises to their daily routine. As a runner it's vitally important to have a strong core. Your core is the source of all your running energy. A weak core will allow fatigue to set in much sooner than a strong core. Once your core gets fatigued, you'll begin to lose good running form. Once you lose your running form, that can spell disaster in a race.

Also, as a runner (who may also be working a desk job for many hours a day) you need to remember to "unflex" those hip flexors. Not only do you need to take a break periodically during the day to stand up and stretch, you also need to do the same before a run. Before you begin a run (especially after a day of office-sitting), be sure to do some dynamic stretches (actively moving stretches not static stretching). This can be as simple as a very easy light jog around the parking lot. Other times (if you're going for a longer or more intense run) you may want to do a series of simple running drills such as high kicks, butt kicks, side shuffles, karaoke shuffles, etc. Not only will this warm-up your muscles, it will also get your heart pumping and your blood circulating to all your muscles before your run.

-

Below is a clip from LiveStrong showing three good hip flexor stretches. These are great for during the day, at the end of your day, or after your run.

Running cold on a stiff body can spell I-N-J-U-R-Y real fast, so take a few pre-run precautions. You'll be glad you did come race day, when you're injury free.