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Why Every Runner Needs a Strong Core (pt. 1)

Alison McGinnis
Aug 11
2 min read

It's More Than Just Abs

As runners we’re often told we need a strong core and stable hips, but what exactly does that mean in practice?

The purpose of your core isn't to give you six-pack abs—it's to create a stable, powerful platform that transfers force efficiently between your upper and lower body, and from right to left and back. Every stride you take depends on your ability to control movement, absorb forces, and generate power. A strong, well-trained core can improve running efficiency, reduce injury risk, and help you maintain good form when fatigue sets in.

The key is that your core has to be trained the way it functions during running—not just with endless planks or crunches.

Three Planes of Motion

Running may look like a straight-ahead activity, but your body is constantly controlling movement in all three planes.

Sagittal Plane (Forward and Backward)

This is the plane most runners think about. It includes controlling trunk position while moving forward and resisting excessive extension through the low back.

Strong sagittal plane control helps you:

Maintain upright posture
Transfer force from the hips into the ground
Prevent energy leaks through excessive spinal movement

Examples of exercises include:

Plank Walkouts or Rollouts
Overhead Reaching
Loaded carries

Frontal Plane (Side-to-Side)

Every time one foot hits the ground, your body wants to collapse toward that side. Your lateral core muscles—including the obliques and quadratus lumborum—work to keep your pelvis level along with your glutes.

Poor frontal plane control often contributes to:

Hip drop
Knee valgus
IT band irritation
Increased stress on the knees and ankles

Exercises that challenge this plane include:

Side planks
Suitcase carries
Copenhagen planks

Transverse Plane (Rotation)

Running is a rotational sport. Although you move forward, your pelvis and trunk rotate in opposite directions with every stride. Your core needs to both allow appropriate rotation and resist excessive rotation at precisely the right moments.

Without good rotational control, runners often compensate with: