Aren't we talking about legs? What does it have to do with the core? In fact, good core muscle strength is the key to affect running performance and muscle type of runners. Look at those elite athletes, why can they run so fast, train so much and still have so long legs? Because their motivation comes from the invisible core, they use the core to support the upper body, maintain stability, drive the legs and reduce the burden on the lower limbs. The strength of the calf is less, so naturally it doesn't need so much muscle support. With the gradual training and running, the excess fat disappears, leaving only slender slow-contracting muscles.

Here are a few core muscle strength exercises that you can do at home. Try doing it 2-3 times a week. The key is to persevere. You will find that not only running is easier, but also the burden on your legs is reduced, and the radish is slowly disappearing.

1.

Wood board type

Main training sites: abdomen (transverse abdominis), buttocks (gluteus maximus) and front thigh (rectus femoris).

Action points: from the head, shoulders, abdomen, buttocks and feet, all should be in a straight line, and the abdomen should be clamped.

Usually, it is easy to ignore the transverse abdominis muscle, so before you start, you can lie flat, try to keep your lower back close to the ground, imagine your navel contracting in the direction of your spine when breathing, feel the contraction of the transverse abdominis muscle, and then remember this feeling and do persistent training.

At first, the elbows are bent and the forearms are on the ground, about shoulder width. Then, the body is propped up, the upper arm is at 90 degrees to the ground, the lower body is on the ground with both feet and toes, and the body is in a straight line. Don't tilt or sink your hips for 30 seconds.

Keep posture and breathe normally during the process. Don't let go of your abdominal muscles.

Advanced version: keep your upper body posture and lift one leg in turn.

2.

side plate

Main training site: lateral abdomen (internal oblique muscle and external oblique muscle)

Action points: Like the stick, almost all core sports emphasize abdomen and hip clamping.

Lie on your side, supporting your body with elbows, arms perpendicular to the ground, and hips tightened. Keep your head, shoulders, hips and feet in a straight line for 30 seconds.

Advanced version: Keep the lateral stick moving, lift the lateral foot and train the inner thigh muscles.

3.

bridge type

Main training sites: hips, waist and back, leg and back.

Action points: When getting up, feel the spine go up from the pelvis; When lowering, lower from the thoracic vertebra to the pelvis.

Bend your knees and lie flat, put your feet on the ground, put your hands on your sides, slowly lift your hips and deviate from the ground from your pelvis. At this time, your knees are bent nearly 90 degrees, and your chest, hips and knees are in a straight line. After 30 seconds, relax and put them down.

Beginners can use their hands to assist, and when there is no problem, they can switch to chest-hugging exercises. The thoracic vertebrae, waist and buttocks will be slowly raised one by one to keep the pelvis and body at the same level.

Whether the action can be determined is related to the softness of iliopsoas muscle and the strength of hip and hind leg muscles.

Advanced version: keep bridging, slowly lift one foot, keep it at the same height as the body, stay for 3 to 5 seconds, then change feet to strengthen the training of hip and abdominal muscles.

Good running posture

"Which way to run with?" "Legs, of course! If you think so, the radish head may be quietly looking for you. From the beginning, the legs were actually not the main source of power. We use swing arms, iliopsoas muscles (muscles from both sides of the waist to the lower abdomen), hips and hind legs to drive the legs to lift and swing their legs. The thighs and calves just passively swing, support and bounce.

How to establish a good running posture? You can refer to the article "Good Running Posture", try to adjust your running habits step by step, forget your calves and feet, lead yourself to run with your upper body and core muscles, and imagine that you are empty below your knees, which can help you focus on the more important swing arm, core and hind leg muscles. Not running, but the center of gravity is getting lower and lower, the calf is getting tighter and tighter, and the whole person collapses. Instead, I use my calves and feet to pull my body forward. I use more strength in my calves, and of course I am more and more bold.

Imagine that your feet are as soft as feathers when you land, then roll to the forefoot, gently bounce your calves, and put your heels away, just like the tires of a car, and your feet alternately draw beautiful arcs.

Stretching massage

Paying attention to the core and running posture is the key to shaping the legs during running, but stretching and massage after running are also sloppy. Without proper stretching and massage, muscle fibers will become shorter and shorter, and muscles will become more and more stiff and inelastic. Once the elasticity and extensibility of the calf become worse, the body must cultivate and recruit more muscles to meet the needs of running. Over time, the buried radish seeds will sprout green buds and grow sturdily.

It's fun to finish running exercises or races, but don't forget to relax your tired legs and massage them properly. Here are some leg stretching exercises after running, keep doing them and recover your legs.

1.

Legs: Achilles tendon, lung and intestine muscles, soleus muscles and plantar extension.

Find a wall, lunge with your feet, toe forward, heel on the ground, and push the wall with your hands for support. At this time, you will feel that your hind legs are stretched or tight. Pay attention to the heel when doing this, otherwise the stretching effect will be discounted. If your legs are too tight, the span between your feet can be smaller. Keep moving for 30 seconds and change sides.

This action can not only stretch the calf, but also extend to the plantar fascia. Too tight calf is not only the big and thick leg, but also the culprit of foot problems such as plantar fascia. Leg relaxation and stretching is really good, and plantar related problems can often be improved.

2.

Front thigh: quadriceps femoris stretching.

Hold the instep with both hands, bend your knees and keep your heels close to your hips. The front side of your thigh will feel stretched. If the feeling of stretching is not obvious, your upper body can be straightened. If you can swing from side to side, the other hand can support your body with a wall or a stable object. Keep moving for 20 seconds and change sides.

The quadriceps femoris is an explosive muscle, which plays an accelerating role in fast running. Although it is rarely used in long-distance running, it has the important task of stabilizing the knee and has enough quadriceps strength, which can effectively avoid sports injury of the knee.

This action can be done after running, and it is also suitable for stretching after weight training of quadriceps femoris.

3.

Posterior thigh: muscle of the posterior leg.

Starting from squatting, put your hands around your heels, put your abdomen on your thighs, and slowly lift your hips. You will feel the muscles in the back of your thighs gradually tense and stretch. Make the legs slightly tight behind, don't just straighten your legs; The abdomen is as close to the front of the thigh as possible, and the stretching effect is better.

This action can be extended to muscles that rarely stretch behind the legs. The muscles behind the leg play a key role in lifting the leg and changing the pace during running, and compared with quadriceps femoris, it is a large muscle group that is not easy to get tired. Doing more exercise and stretching of this muscle group can reduce the burden on the calf and make running easier and more efficient.