Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America
Muscular Balance, Core Stability, and Injury Prevention for Middle- and Long-Distance Runners
Section snippets
The role of the core
In essence, the “core” can be viewed as a box with the abdominals in the front, paraspinals and gluteals in the back, the diaphragm as the roof, and the pelvic floor and hip girdle musculature as the bottom [1]. Within this box are 29 pairs of muscles that help to stabilize the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain during functional movements. When the system works efficiently, the result is appropriate distribution of forces; optimal control and efficiency of movement; adequate absorption of
Muscle imbalances
Stability work should be started only after the athlete has achieved good mobility, because adequate muscle length and extensibility are crucial to proper joint function and efficiency. Also required is a proper relationship between the prime movers, synergists, and stabilizers. A prime mover is the muscle that provides most of the force during a desired body movement. Stabilizers and synergists are muscles that assist in the motion by means of control or neutralizing forces. Proper timing and
Beginning a core strengthening program
The first step in a preventive or performance-enhancing program is to assess which muscles have become tight and shortened. These deficits can be addressed with stretching exercises and soft tissue mobilization techniques. Following this, the clinician should seek to activate inhibited, or strengthen any weak, muscle groups. The challenge for the clinician is to design an individualized program that addresses these imbalances.
Preliminary stretches for shortened, predominant muscles should
Warm-up
Before beginning the basic core strengthening exercises, the athlete should warm-up the spine with the Cat-Camel motion (Fig. 2).
Fundamental lumbo-pelvic stability
The purposes of the fundamental core stabilization exercises are to gain stability, but more importantly, to gain coordination and timing of the deep abdominal wall musculature. It is extremely important to do these basic exercises correctly because they are the foundation of all other core exercises and movement patterns. These basic exercises emphasize maintaining
Summary
This article is intended to provide an understanding of the importance of core musculature to runners and to offer exercises that will help them achieve desired mobility, stability, muscular balance, and neuromuscular control. Please see Table 1 for an example of how to incorporate these exercises into a periodized training program. It is highly recommended, however, that athletes consult a skilled practitioner to address individual needs and maximize results from a program of this nature.
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