You can’t overstate the importance of a runner’s core strength and stability. “A strong core provides the foundation for the rest of your body to work together and use less energy when you run,” Raj Hathiramani, a certified running coach, tells Runner’s World. “Core strength also enables you to maintain good running form, which becomes especially important toward the end of long runs or races when your form starts to break down.”

Bottom line: You need a regular core workout that you can periodically refresh with new and progressively challenging exercises. Scissor kicks add a little spice to a typical routine of planks and crunches while also engaging “key muscle groups that you use for running, including your hip flexors, hip adductors, glutes, and quads,” Hathiramani says. Plus, there are more than enough scissor kick variations to help stave off boredom and keep your muscles guessing.

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