30 Day Ab Challenge for Runners
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30 Day Ab Challenge for Runners – 12 Minute Workout
An essential but often overlooked group of muscles to strengthen is the core. A strong core has many benefits regardless of your overall health and fitness goals. Completing regular core exercises for runners will translate to improved running posture and running speed. Our 30-Day Ab Challenge is perfect for anyone looking to gain core strength and strive for that 6-pack of abs!
Your core is what connects your limbs. Moving your arm or leg requires at least some core use; there is no way around it. So, it only makes sense if we want to develop strength or efficiency somewhere else in our bodies; then, we need to start with our core muscles first. Core muscles can include everything from your shoulders down through your butt.
While our 30-Day Ab Challenge focuses primarily on the abs, in completing this daily routine, you will also notice increased strength in your shoulders, back, and legs.
After consistently completing these core exercises for runners, you will notice improved posture and stability while running. The results will be less fatigue toward the end of a run and a reduced risk of injury from running. This 12-Minute Ab Workout is the perfect 30-Day Ab Challenge for Runners looking to improve strength and running efficiency.
How Does this Ab Challenge Work?
Our 30-Day Ab Challenge for Runners is reasonably easy to add to your daily running or workout routine. We are going to give you six (6) core exercises. Try to complete each move twice to add up to a 12-minute workout. You can do more than that if you have time, but complete at least two rounds for a quick and effective training session.
A quick 12-minute ab workout is easy to add to the end of a run, complete before or after work, or fit into your lunch break. What’s great is it does not require a full-blown workout to build a stronger core!
Who Should Try this 30 Day Ab Challenge?
These core exercises for runners are best for someone who is:
- Looking for a quick workout because you dislike training,
- Needing to save time but wanting to put in some work to get stronger,
- Been dealing with fatigue from poor running form or overuse injuries,
- Or trying to look better at the beach or pool this summer!
Anyone can complete our 30-Day Ab Challenge! We will show you how to break up the exercises to make it possible! The most crucial factor is to start working out and stick with it! With any training routine, you need to work at your own pace. With focus and consistency, you will make your way up to the 12 minutes throughout the month.
Will a 30 Day Ab Challenge Work?
Yes! Stick with the Ab Challenge for 30 days, and you will notice a stronger core. For some runners, 12 minutes may not seem like a lot of time to dedicate to a strength workout, but it is all about consistency and repetition.
We recommend keeping track of your total complete repetitions for each exercise and full workout time. Keeping track of your workouts will not only help you to notice your progress, but it will also help keep you motivated and push yourself to work hard.
After completing this 30-Day Ab Challenge, keep going! Don’t limit yourself by following back into the routine of not completing strength work. You can always mix other exercises to change the workout and add to the challenge.
What Equipment Do I Need?
No equipment is needed to complete this 30-Day Ab Challenge. You can complete the daily workout at home, work, park, or even while traveling. We do recommend at least having a good pair of shoes. A yoga mat is optional, which can help if you need extra padding while completing the exercises on a hard surface.
Ab Challenge at a glance:
The 30-Day Ab Challenge for Runners follows the following structure and is available for free download by subscribing to our newsletter.
- Length: 30 Days
- Typical Week: 7 days per week, 6 exercises per workout
- PDF: Easily download your strength plan as a PDF
- Cost: FREE (subscribe below to get your PDF plan)
What to Expect:
Embarking on a 30-day ab challenge explicitly designed for runners can yield numerous benefits, enhancing core strength and overall running performance. Here’s what you can typically expect from such a challenge:
Targeted Core Workouts: The ab challenge includes a variety of exercises specifically aimed at strengthening the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis.
Progressive Difficulty: The ab challenge will start with exercises suitable for all fitness levels and progressively increase in intensity as the days go by. This gradual progression allows for adaptation and minimizes the risk of overtraining or injury.
Improved Stability: A stronger core contributes to enhanced stability, which is crucial for maintaining proper running form and balance on various terrains.
Enhanced Running Efficiency: As your core becomes stronger, you may experience improved running efficiency, translating into a smoother and more controlled stride.
Injury Prevention: Strengthening the core muscles can improve posture and reduce the risk of injuries related to imbalances or weaknesses in the abdominal region.
Increased Endurance: Improved core strength can increase endurance, allowing you to maintain good running posture and form for longer durations.
Cross-Training Benefits: This 30-day ab challenge will incorporate cross-training activities that complement other workouts, providing a holistic approach to fitness.
Trackable Progress: The challenge will encourage you to track your progress, allowing you to celebrate achievements and stay motivated.
Visible Results: While individual results may vary, many participants notice positive changes in abdominal definition, muscle tone, and overall body composition by the end of the challenge.
Remember to approach this 30-day ab challenge for runners with commitment, listen to your body, and modify exercises to suit your fitness level. Consistency is essential, and integrating core workouts into your regular training routine can contribute to long-term benefits for your running journey.
How to Get Started?
Subscribe to the Sunrise Running Company newsletter below and you will immediately receive this 30-Day Ab Challenge in your email inbox.
Looking for more training guidance?
If you need more personalized motivation or advice, we offer online run coaching.
Take the next step in your running ability! Receive a running plan that adapts with you and get feedback throughout your training from Coach Andrew Taylor.
Checkout the 9 Ab Challenge Exercise Videos Below!
Then, when you are ready, Download the Challenge and start a new routine.
Playlist
6 Videos
Exercise Instructions
- Lay with your back on the floor, and your knees bent to a 90-degree angle.
- With your hands crossed over your chest, bring your chest to your knees.
- Try to move from the hips, keeping your spine straight.
Sit-ups are the darling of the core workout world – and part of the reason is their versatility. A sit-up can be modified to fit any injuries you’re dealing with or enhance your personal goals. Make them easier on your lower back by changing to crunches, or make them more challenging by keeping your feet an inch or two off the floor.
Sit-ups will target your overall core muscles by hitting your prominent “6-pack” ab muscles the most, as well as your stabilizing muscles in your back and legs.
Exercise Instructions
- Lay face down on the ground.
- Raise yourself so you’re resting on your forearms and your toes.
- Your elbows should be directly below your shoulders.
- Your head should remain in a relaxed position and your eyes looking at the ground.
- Engage your abs by drawing your navel toward your spine.
- Make sure your hips are not falling toward the ground or hiked up toward the sky. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
Planks are one of the best ways to make sure you’re strengthening every stabilizing muscle in your body, and they’re super versatile. Play with stability by lifting an arm or leg. Or, rotate your hips in a semicircle toward the ground to focus on your obliques. Planking is a great way to increase stability for runners.
Exercise Instructions
- Lay on the ground on your right side. Your body should be in a straight line with your legs extended and feet stacked on top of each other.
- Bend your right arm and rest your head in your hand for support.
- Place your left hand in front of you, or rest it on your left hip.
- Raise and lower your left leg off the lower leg. Stop raising your leg when you feel the muscles flex in your lower back or obliques.
Perform side leg raises to build strength in your outer thighs and the hip abductors, including the gluteus medius and minimus. This simple yet powerful exercise will increase the range of motion in your hips, improve overall stability, activate muscles that help your knees track correctly, and improve muscular endurance.
Exercise Instructions
- Lay on your back on the ground with your legs bent at 90-degree angles
- Place your fingertips to your temples. Do not grab your neck or pull on the back of your head.
- Lift your shoulders slightly off the ground and bring your right knee up toward your chest.
- Rotate your core and bring your left elbow toward your right knee.
- Your left leg should remain straight, and your toes pointed.
- Slowly switch legs and elbows as if you are pedaling a bicycle.
This exercise combines a challenge to your stability by introducing constant movement. Make it more complex by adding a pulse or a two-second hold at the full extension of the action, or make it a little easier by resting your feet back on the ground between movements.
Bicycles are fantastic for runners because it not only builds up your core muscles, but it also focuses on the same muscles you use to power your runs. The movement mimics the counteracting muscles that stabilize you during runs.
Exercise Instructions
- Stand straight up with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands relaxed down at your sides.
- Raise your left knee toward your chest.
- Quickly switch to bring your right knee toward your chest.
- Continue with alternating legs as if you are running in place.
- Try not to lean too far forward. Keep your chest up and shoulders back.
- Engage your abdominal muscles, and make sure to use your arms.
High knees will get your heart rate up and improve your aerobic capacity. You can do this one at varying speeds (slow or fast) to change the focus. Slow high knees will force you to work more on stability and improve running posture. In comparison, more rapid high knees will give you a higher aerobic workout and improve your running cadence.
Exercise Instructions
- Get into a tabletop position on the ground. Ensure your shoulders are over the top of your hands and your hips are over the top of your knees.
- Lift the right hand off the ground and extend your right arm straight in front and extend the left leg behind you. Maintain your balance on the other hand and knee.
- Bring your right arm and left hand back to the ground.
- Perform the same movement with the left arm and right leg.
The bird dog exercise is another exercise that will work many muscles important to runners. You will feel this in your lower back, glutes, and abdominals. If you’ve been improving your running posture, the bird dog is the exercise you should do more often.
