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If you’re a runner over 40 and you’ve started noticing your lower back aches after long runs, your knees feel less reliable on the downhills, or your hips are tighter than they used to be your core is almost certainly part of the problem. This Core Pilates workout is built specifically for runners who want to address those issues at the source, rather than stretching and foam rolling the symptoms forever.
Here’s the truth most running plans skip over: as we move through our 40s, 50s and beyond, we lose muscle mass year on year unless we actively work to maintain it. For runners, this shows up first in the deep core the muscles that stabilise your pelvis and spine with every single footstrike. When that deep system weakens, your body compensates. Your lower back takes the load. Your glutes stop firing properly. Your knees track poorly. Suddenly you’re dealing with niggles you never had in your 30s, and the usual advice (rest, ice, more mileage) isn’t fixing them.
Traditional ab workouts, crunches, sit-ups, endless planks don’t solve this. They train your core to flex but running demands a core that resists movement: that holds you stable as your arms and legs do the work. That’s exactly what this Core Pilates workout trains.
In this session you’ll move through a sequence of Pilates exercises designed to wake up and strengthen the muscles runners genuinely rely on:
– Deep transverse abdominis activation to support your lower back
– Pelvic stability work to stop that dreaded hip drop in your stride
– Oblique and rotational strength for efficient arm-leg coordination
– Glute integration so your core and hips work together, not in isolation
– Controlled breathing patterns that translate directly to your running
Every exercise is chosen because it transfers to the road, the trail or the treadmill — no fluff, no choreography for the sake of it.
This Core Pilates workout is ideal for runners over 40 (women and men) who want to keep running well into their 50s, 60s and beyond without the injury cycle. Whether you’re training for your first half marathon, returning to running after a break, or simply want to feel strong and pain-free on your weekly Parkrun, this session will meet you where you are. No prior Pilates experience needed — just a mat and around 20 minutes.
A mat, comfortable kit, and a small space. That’s it. No reformer, no fancy equipment just your body and the willingness to move with intention.
Press play, follow along, and start building the kind of core strength that actually keeps you running.
