While leg strength and cardio endurance are major players in your running journey, there’s one muscle group that’s often overlooked and underestimated: the core. “Our core is our body’s stabilizer. It helps us run smoother, faster, and less injury-prone,” says Peloton instructor Olivia Amato. A solid core will support many aspects of your run, maybe most importantly helping you maintain your form—leading to more efficient miles and a reduced risk of injury.

Here, experts give us the rundown on the benefits of a strong core for running performance and the essential core muscles runners should know. Plus, nine core exercises all runners should add to their strength training routine.

Why Having a Strong Core Is So Important for Runners

“A strong core is so beneficial when it comes to most things and is especially true for running,” Olivia says. “It keeps your posture tall, helps you breathe easier, absorbs impact, and reduces energy leaks so that every stride is more efficient.”

No matter if you’re training for your first 5K or are a seasoned marathoner, a strong core is going to be the foundation for better runs. For beginner runners, building up a strong core can help you adjust to training and make runs feel easier. Additionally, strong core muscles can help ensure you’re running with proper form, which will make you a more efficient runner and reduce your risk of injury. “For beginners, core strength is super important because their bodies aren’t used to the repetitive higher impact of running,” Olivia says. “A stable core helps protect joints and prevents those ‘rookie aches,’ like low back tightness or uneven hips.”

If you have a weak core, your body will try to compensate by relying on other muscles, which usually means the hips, buttocks, knees, and low back do more work. This can lead to unwanted results, ranging from early fatigue on your runs to injuries, explains Dennis Colón, doctor of physical therapy and director of player health at Alliance Regen & Rehab. Having a strong core allows your body to remain stable when your foot contacts the ground. This ensures you can hold good running form, even when you’re fatigued. 

“Having a strong core allows for easier movement and energy efficiency, and allows for better form and mechanics, even when you get tired,” he says. “This will translate to even fewer overuse injuries or common injuries.” The research agrees: A 2024 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that runners who incorporated hip and core strengthening into their fitness routine had 39 to 52 percent fewer overuse injuries than those who only built up strength in the ankles and feet.

As you progress, a strong core is not only going to stabilize and prevent injury, but it’s also going to improve performance, Olivia says. “More experienced runners use their core to maintain form when fatigue sets in, push faster paces, and handle tougher terrain,” she says. 

And if it’s improved performance you’re after, just eight weeks of core training may help. A small 2019 study done on college athletes found that after eight weeks of core training, participants had improved balance, core endurance, and running economy. 

Which Core Muscles Do Runners Need to Strengthen?

“The core is so much more than just your abs,” Olivia says. It also includes the muscles in your pelvis, hips, and lower back, as well as all the abdominal muscles that hold your core together, Colón explains. “This field of the body controls nearly every aspect of movement when running,” he says.

What this means is that becoming a better runner isn’t just about building leg strength—a strong core is key to improving performance, since those muscles will work together to help you power through every stride. Here’s the rundown on how different core muscles support your running, according to Olivia. “If all of these aren’t working, you waste energy and risk getting injured,” she adds. 

The Best Types of Core Exercises for Runners

Banging out endless crunches at the end of your runs like you might’ve done in high school isn’t going to cut it if you want to become a stronger runner. Instead, it’s all about functional core work. “Runners need movements that train stability, rotation control, and the ability to transfer force between upper and lower body,” Olivia says. Exercises that mimic running patterns, like planks, anti-rotation holds, and single-leg balance work are far more useful than sit-ups, she continues. 

Colón agrees. Traditional ab exercises, like crunches, can be too isolated to one muscle group; this doesn’t typically transfer well to running health or performance, he says. Instead, he suggests focusing on three types of core exercises to support your running performance:

While bodyweight core work is a great place to start, Colón also advises his athletes to do exercises for strength and stability under some form of load (i.e., using resistance, such as weights or a resistance band).

9 Essential Core Exercises for Runners

These nine core exercises for runners, favorites of Olivia and Colón, will build the strength and stability to support you through all your miles. If you’d rather follow an instructor-led class, check out the Core for Runners classes on the Peloton App. 

Dead Bug

The dead bug is a move that helps with coordination and teaches your core to stabilize while your arms and legs move—which is exactly what happens in running, says Olivia.

Side Plank

The side plank is highly effective because the move not only targets the core, but also activates the outer glutes, combining core and hip stability work, according to Colón.

Side Plank Hip Dip

Up-leveling your side plank to add a hip lift still works the hips hits obliques and glutes, but also adds an additional stability-building element. The move is great for hip stability and preventing IT band issues, Olivia says. You can do this move in a high side plank or a forearm side plank, as shown.

Bird Dog

A bird dog, performed on hands and knees, helps build spinal stability and balance while training your core to resist rotation, according to Olivia.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Since running is a unilateral exercise (it involves pushing off and landing on one foot at a time), it’s important to incorporate single-leg strength exercises to find any imbalances you might have. This move ties the glutes and core together, mimicking running’s single-leg stance, Olivia says. Additionally, the single-leg glute bridge helps build hip strength and improve hip extension, both necessary as your body pushes you forward on your runs, adds Colón.

Farmer’s Carry

The farmer’s carry is a seemingly simple move that packs a punch. You’ll build core stability, grip strength, and postural endurance under a heavy load, Colón says. To increase the challenge on your core, hold a weight in just one hand.

Kettlebell March

Since the kettlebell march requires you to lift one leg at a time, you’ll need to brace your core to maintain balance as you alternate sides. Doing this trains stability while balancing on one leg, Colón explains. To modify, you can hold a single kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest in a goblet position.

Pallof Press (Anti-Rotation Press)

Olivia likes this core exercise for runners as it strengthens your obliques and deep core for anti-rotation. This translates to a stable torso, helpful when it comes to controlling running form, keeping your body moving in a straight line while your arms pump as you propel forward. Note that for this move, you’ll need a spot to anchor a resistance band (or a cable machine).

Staggered Stance Pallof Press

Upleveling your Pallof Press adds an additional stability challenge, and mimics the asymmetrical way you move when running, Colón says.

How to Include Core Work In Your Running Routine

Since most functional strength exercises also work your core, you don’t have to spend hours a week specifically targeting those muscles. Adding core exercises to your training routine for just five to 10 minutes, three to four times a week will help in a major way, Olivia says. 

To get the most of your core work, you’ll want to select certain exercises depending on what other workouts you’re doing that day. For example, before speed workouts or long runs, Olivia suggests sticking to activation-style moves (like dead bugs and bird dogs) to wake up the core and avoid fatiguing the body. (That’s one reason you might see core exercises in a Pre-Run Warm Up class on the Peloton App.) After easy runs or during strength sessions, you can add a short (five- to 10-minute) core circuit with more challenging exercises. 

“Consistency matters more than duration,” Olivia says. By adding just a little bit of core work to your strength days can have major payoffs when it comes to your running performance. Remaining consistent and focusing on building a strong core—not just your abs—will help you run strong and hit your goals, whether that be to go longer distances without fatiguing or smash a new PR. 

For help slotting core work into your routine, consider creating a personalized workout plan on the Peloton App, or check out cross training programs like the Strength for Runners program led by Peloton instructors Becs Gentry and Matt Wilpers.