Planks may help running feel easier by building the endurance to hold a comfortable posture while your arms and legs do the moving. For a casual runner, a small amount of repeatable core work can be a useful part of the week.
Why I started to notice my core while running
From my own experience, running feels easier when my core is in better shape. I do not mean that I consciously brace my stomach for every step. It is almost the opposite: holding my posture stops feeling like an extra task added to the run.
That feeling is hard to measure, and personal experience is not proof. But it is a useful question to take to the research: can better trunk endurance reduce some of the work involved in keeping the body controlled as fatigue builds?
The careful answer is possibly.
What your core is doing when you run
Running is not only a leg movement. The trunk helps manage the forces and rotational movement created as the legs and arms cycle through each stride. The muscles around the abdomen, back, hips and pelvis help provide that control.
A useful core is not one that stays rigid. It is one that can keep the trunk controlled without demanding too much attention or effort. For the everyday runner, that may show up as:
- Less slumping late in an easy run
- Better control of excessive torso movement
- A steadier connection between the upper and lower body
- Posture that feels automatic rather than forced
This is where a plank makes sense. It trains the trunk to resist movement while you breathe and maintain a position. That is not the same as running, but it is a simple way to train one part of the job.
What the science actually says
The evidence is promising in places, but it deserves a modest reading.
A small 2019 trial assigned 21 male college athletes to their normal training or eight weeks of added core work. The programme included several exercises, not only planks. The core-training group improved its core endurance and some measures associated with running economy. However, it did not clearly improve more than the comparison group on the treadmill outcomes. The study was small and did not focus on casual runners, so it is a reason for further research rather than a reason to promise faster running.
Another pilot trial deliberately fatigued the trunk before running. Seven trained runners then appeared to use more oxygen at the same hard pace, but the study could not rule out chance as the explanation. The result makes the idea plausible—tired trunk muscles may make running less economical—without proving that plank training will produce the reverse effect.
The wider strength-training literature is more encouraging, but its clearest findings concern heavy resistance training, plyometrics or combined programmes. A 2024 review of 31 studies found that some of these approaches can improve running economy, although confidence in the evidence ranged from moderate to low. It did not establish the benefit of isolated plank training.
So the honest conclusion is:
- Core training can improve core endurance.
- Some small studies report improvements in running economy or performance.
- The programmes usually contain more than planks.
- We cannot confidently say that a daily plank alone will make a casual runner faster or prevent injury.
That is enough to treat planks as reasonable supporting work, not an essential or magical exercise.
A simple plank routine for a casual runner
You do not need an athlete’s programme. Start with something small enough that it does not compete with the running you enjoy.
Try this two or three times a week:
- Hold a front plank for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Rest for roughly the same amount of time.
- Repeat for two or three controlled holds.
Keep breathing. Aim for a long line from shoulders to heels, with your ribs and pelvis feeling stacked rather than your lower back sagging. End the hold when you can no longer keep that position comfortably.
If 15 seconds on the floor is difficult, start with your hands or forearms elevated on a bench or another sturdy surface.
Once 30 seconds feels routine, you can add a little time or introduce a side plank. There is no prize for turning every hold into a maximum-effort test.
For a fuller walkthrough of setup, sensations and easier variations, see How To Plank Correctly: A Simple Beginner Guide.
When should runners do planks?
Hard core work immediately before a run can create the fatigue you are trying to avoid. For most casual runners, a better place is:
- After an easy run
- At the end of a short strength session
- At another consistent point in the day
A very short, easy plank can fit in a warm-up, but it should leave you feeling ready rather than tired.
What planks cannot replace
Planks do not replace consistent running, recovery or broader strength work for the legs and hips.
They also should not be sold as guaranteed injury prevention. Research on core stability and injuries is not conclusive, and pain can have many causes. Stop if a plank causes pain, and speak to a qualified health professional if pain persists.
A small experiment worth trying
The practical test is not whether you can survive a five-minute plank. It is whether a small core habit changes how your ordinary runs feel.
If you want to make this repeatable, use the 4 - 8 Week Plank Experiment for Casual Runners.
For four to eight weeks, record two or three short plank sessions each week. On one familiar easy run, notice:
- Does your posture still feel comfortable near the end?
- Are your shoulders and hands relaxed?
- Does holding yourself upright demand less attention?
- Does the same route feel a little smoother?
Pace and heart rate can be useful, but they are affected by weather, sleep, hills and stress. Your own repeatable observation—“posture is no longer extra work”—may be the most relevant outcome for casual running. It can tell you whether the habit feels useful to you, not prove that planks caused the difference.
References
- Hung KC, et al. (2019). Effects of 8-week core training on core endurance and running economy. PLOS ONE, 14(3), e0213158.
- Drum SN, Rappelt L, Donath L. (2019). Trunk and Upper Body Fatigue Adversely Affect Running Economy: A Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Crossover Pilot Trial. Sports, 7(8), 195.
- Llanos-Lagos C, et al. (2024). Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners’ Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 54, 895 - 932.
- Reed CA, et al. (2012). The effects of isolated and integrated core stability training on athletic performance measures: a systematic review. Sports Medicine, 42(8), 697 - 706.
Related guides
- How Long Should Beginners Plank?
- How To Plank Correctly: A Simple Beginner Guide
- A 4 - 8 Week Plank Experiment for Casual Runners
- How To Build A Daily Plank Habit
- Plank Progress Tracker Guide
FAQ
Do planks help with running?
Planks can build trunk endurance, which may help you control your posture as you run. Small studies suggest that broader core-training programmes may improve running economy, but the evidence is mixed and does not show that planks alone make every runner faster.
How long should a runner hold a plank?
Start with a duration you can hold with steady form, often 15 to 30 seconds. Two or three controlled holds are more useful than one long hold that ends with poor form.
Should runners plank before or after running?
A short easy plank can be part of a warm-up, but harder core work is usually better after an easy run or in a separate strength session so it does not fatigue your trunk before running.
Make the habit easy to see
If you try the 4 - 8 week experiment, The Humble Plank can help you time, record and repeat the two or three short sessions each week. It supports the habit and your observations; it does not promise faster running.