Article: Studies show that people with strong abs are less susceptible to side aches than those who don't regularly work their core muscles. Incorporate doing sit-ups or crunches into your regular workouts to develop strong abdominal muscles. Doing planks, by placing your elbows and toes on the floor, then lifting your body up (like the up-position when doing pushups) is another way to strengthen your core muscles. Sometimes a stitch in your side can be caused by having too much bounce when you run. This may be because your organs are straining their connective tissue as they bounce around inside of you, as well as affecting the connective tissue attached to your diaphragm. Next time you run, pay attention to your stride. Are you pushing yourself too high off the ground as you run, or is your stride too long, causing you to bounce? To minimize bounce, try the following: Try hitting the ground with your heel instead of landing on the balls of your feet. Watch where your foot is in relation to your knee when it hits the ground. Is your foot farther out than your knee? Try to land your foot on the ground when it is positioned right under your knee. Shorten your stride. Count how many times your right foot hits the ground during a minute of running. If it is under 90, your stride may be too long. Visualize that you are running somewhere with a ceiling that is just a few inches above your head, and if you bounce too high you will hit your head. Talk to a personal trainer or running coach about how to work on your stride if you are struggling. People who run often are less likely to suffer side aches for various reasons. Once you're accustomed to running, you may learn to adjust your pace and breathing patterns to better avoid developing a side ache. Frequent exercise will strengthen your core muscles that may alleviate side aches. Some foods are known to make a runner more prone to suffering side aches, but everyone is different so keep track of what you eat and how it affects you. Fruit juices have been known to cause side aches in some people as they run. If you experience unusually painful side aches or experience them frequently, look at what you ate that day and consider removing things from your diet.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Work your core. Assess your stride. Do cardio workouts regularly. Keep a food log.