Core muscles

I have heard that strengthening my core muscles will help with my running posture. Can anyone give any more info on this and suggestions of different exercises to do? Thanks!

The first thing I would think of is doing the plank, about three times every day perhaps?

Swimming is good for strengthening your core muscles I think. And holding your stomach muscles in when doing any sort of exercise is beneficial, e.g., tense them while jogging.

Yeah I read that swimming was pretty much the best exercise for toning all core muscles.

There are plenty of ways to increase your core strength (and overall muscle strength). With posture, it's not so much about 'holding in' the muscles and tensing them, it's about holding them correctly.

Planking won't really help on its own, the exercises need to be more dynamic. Pilates would be a good start, once you're fully aware of your muscles and how they're working it's easier to maintain good posture and improve your muscle strength effectively. Free weights are also good, you have to work harder to exercise and your strength increases as you have to stabilise the muscles yourself (rather than relying on fixed gym weights to do that for you).

Turkish Get ups!

Check this out for some amazing pound-for-pound strength:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Q9mxjhMy8&feature=fvwrel

Also, I think statics can build up to some phenomenal core strength - if you get to the full planche, for example, you won't be too shabby...

I like using the Swiss ball to work on my core because it allows you to work a rnage of muscles. I still haven't mastered standing on it yet though

That pictures a bit scary. He probably could have done that exercise just as well fully clothed

Well, I guess you could say the same thing about all the scantily clad models adorning just about everything in the fitness industry - at least he's working out, not faking it for the camera!

I actually think this is a very useful picture for anyone studying cals - I've learnt a lot from it.

Dynamic exercises are better than static ones like the plank.  They are hard to describe here and are best performed with a qualified trainer until you understand the technique as doing anything with poor technique is pointless.  There are so many people I see doing planks and sit ups incorrectly and they think they are working really hard. Also many people work the stomach but forget to work the back muscles.  As the two work together to hold you upright, doing too many for the stomach can actually cause back problems.

So for that reason, I think that doing a class such as pilates is a good start.  Body Balance is similar.  My gym does an abs and back class which is good if taken by the right instructor, but some of the instructors don't give you feedback on technique.  I guess that applies to any class so it is worth looking about for a good instructor.

Another option is to ask one of the gym staff to go through some exercises with you, or book a couple of PT sessions to give you some ideas.