The best core workouts to do at home
Having a strong core keeps your spine, pelvis and hips stable when you run, preventing you from swaying side to side. This enables you to run more powerfully and efficiently, as it prevents the legs from having to work too hard just to keep you stable, and encourages a more upright posture. It also reduces your risk of getting injured, as a weak core can force unnatural movement compensations and increased strain on other parts of the body – including of the knees and hips. If you're new to running, it's worth building two core workouts into your training every week – and the three beginner core workouts below are a great place to start. These can be done at home and don't require any equipment. We've also included five beginner core exercises, which you can link together to form a circuit – repeat this two or three times.What does running do to your body?
When you run, numerous changes begin happening in your body from the moment you step out the door, throughout the exercise, and then for hours after you’ve finished. To start with, your body releases chemicals (endorphins) that provide you with the energy you need to move. You’ll also notice that your body temperature rises, and you will start to sweat. Depending on your level of fitness, after a certain period, fatigue may you to slow down and you will want to stop. If you run fast and hard, lactic acid starts building up in your muscles, which can make it painful to keep going. Post-run, you will feel energised, and your mood becomes elevated. This is because, during your run, the endorphins your brain releases for energy are still being released, so you get the so-called ‘runner’s high’. As your body recovers from exercise, you’ll also be burning more calories than usual as you clear lactic acid and repair muscles – this is sometimes called ‘afterburn’. It can last for several hours – or even days, according to one study in a sports science journal.Is it ok to run twice in one day?
Is it ok for runners to do two runs in one day? For most runners, doubles are a foreign concept, assumed to be the province only of those cranking out 100-mile weeks. Most of us don’t run twice a day – we don’t have time or there’s too much injury risk. But if you want to push your running to the next level, it may be time to reconsider.
