Why Your Abdominal Muscles Ache After Running
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Why Your Abdominal Muscles Ache After Running

Why Your Abdominal Muscles Ache After Running
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Updated on December 19, 2025
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Abs feeling sore after a run? It’s likely abdominal fatigue from thoroughly working your core muscles hard. It’s fairly common to experience muscle soreness or stiffness, especially if you’re a new runner. But if the pain persists, it could be due to something more serious, such as an injury, or not properly fueling before, during, or after your runs.

 If the pain persists, it could be due to an injury.

The Reason Your Abs Are Sore Post-Run

When you run, you’re primarily using your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors, but your abdominal and upper-body muscles are getting a workout, too.

Your core ‌provides stability,‌ ‌keeps your body erect‌, and is a ‌vital part of your movement‌. So it’s no wonder you may experience sore abs after a long run, especially if you’re a beginner or you’ve increased your distance or the intensity of your runs. In short, if your abs are sore after running, you’re likely working different muscles than you normally do.

Persistent Abdominal Muscle Pain After Running

If your abdominal pain lasts for a few days after a run, it’s possible something else is going on, such as a muscle strain or a hernia.

Muscle strains, or tears in your muscles, can happen if you don’t regularly work out these muscles and they’re weak, you’re not warming up before your run, or you’re overworking them.

Symptoms of a muscle strain include:

  • Bruising
  • Muscle spasms
  • Swelling

If you suspect a muscle strain, try icing the area or applying a warm compress.

You can also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and aspirin to help with pain. However, it’s important to speak with a doctor before doing so. Some NSAIDs may not be safe for people with certain health conditions or when they’re taken in addition to other medications.

While muscle strains typically just require rest and some at-home treatments, it’s important to speak with your doctor or a physical therapist if the pain persists.

Persistent pain may also be a sign of a hernia. Symptoms include:

  • A lump or bulge in the affected area
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
If you believe you have a hernia, talk with your doctor about potential treatments and next steps. Hernias do require treatment by a doctor.

Sometimes abdominal pain after running isn’t muscle-related at all. Dehydration can cause cramping and diarrhea, especially if you’re in need of fluids and electrolytes. Sensitivity to certain foods and working out in the extreme heat can also cause pain and gastrointestinal discomfort.

If you’re regularly experiencing this type of stomach pain or GI discomfort, consider speaking with a nutritionist.

How to Prevent Muscle Pains

To prevent lower-ab pain after running, try out some preventive measures — namely, warming up and stretching.

Stretch and warm up for at least 6 minutes before you exercise. This can include calf stretches, light yoga, or walking, which can greatly reduce muscle stiffness and soreness and help prevent injuries. Activating your glutes before running can also help with hip and knee pain later.

To help strengthen your core and abdominal muscles (the likely reason you’re experiencing soreness), add some weight training and ab exercises, such as crunches or sit-ups, to the mix.

Finally, stay properly hydrated to replenish electrolytes lost in sweat, and try eating some protein after your workout to keep your energy levels up.

The Takeaway

  • Sore ab muscles after you run is a common occurrence because of the groups of muscles that are activated by running.
  • Persistent ab pain after running could be a sign of something more serious, such as a muscle strain or hernia.
  • To avoid ab pain after running, make sure to stretch and warm up before you exercise.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Wiecha S et al. Physical Therapies for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: A Protocol for an Umbrella and Mapping Systematic Review With Meta-Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. March 29, 2024.
  2. Abdominal Muscle Strain. Cleveland Clinic. September 15, 2021.
  3. How to Deal With Runner’s Gut. Henry Ford Health. October 2, 2025.
  4. How to Warm Up Before Exercising. National Health Service. July 12, 2022.
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Joseph Hribick, PT, DPT, COMT, FAAOMPT

Medical Reviewer

Dr. Joseph Hribick is a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. He's an alumnus of Lebanon Valley College and received his bachelor of health science (BS) in 2009 and doctor of physical therapy (DPT) in 2011 as the valedictorian of his graduating class. He earned his certified manual physical therapist (CMPT) designation in 2017 and his certified orthopedic manual therapist (COMT) designation from NAIOMT in 2020.

In 2021, he earned the designation as a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy. In 2020, Hribick was the recipient of the Nevelyn J. Knisley Award for Teaching Excellence by Lebanon Valley College.

In addition to his full-time faculty position at Lebanon Valley College, he teaches orthopedic and manual therapy professional development courses to physical therapists across the United States. Hribick also maintains an active clinical practice treating patients in an outpatient private physical therapy practice.

He has presented his research in orthopedic physical therapy practice and reducing fall risk in the older adult population on a national level. He has been cited in multiple health and wellness publications as a content expert and serves as a subject matter expert for a national physical therapy licensure examination preparation company.

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Justine Harrington

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Justine Harrington is a journalist, yogi, and an avid hiker based in Austin, Texas. For two years, she coedited Austin Fit, the city’s first and only monthly magazine dedicated to keeping residents fit, active, and healthy. Her work has appeared in Forbes, Backpacker, USA Today, Austin Monthly, the Austin American-Statesman, and Texas Highways, among other outlets.

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