Pat Cash won at Wimbledon in 1987, playing his first match just 10 days after an appendix operation.It is quite possible that you could re-commence training in under three weeks after your surgery, but you might not be very pleased if the wound breaks

Q After a year of running I’ve managed to tone up my legs and bottom, but my stomach has not improved and remains ‘potty’. I find sit-ups very hard and therefore don’t bother with them. Will toning up my abdominals actually improve my running

," explains marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe. You simply can't run your best without a strong core: the muscles in your abdominals, lower back and glutes. They provide the stability, power and endurance that runners need for powering up hills

without them." Hereare the key core muscles you need to run. Here's how your core works for you on the road...1. SpeedAs you extend your stride or quicken the rate of your leg and foot turnover when you're trying to pick up the pace, the lower abs

crunches, you may find you have slipped into a routine. "You need to constantly challenge your muscles to get results," says running coach Sam Murphy, co-author of Running Well (Human Kinetics Publishers; £14.99). The fix Mix it up. Fine-tune your

weights in the gym – you can benefit from as little as 15 minutes of core stability work if you manage to do a selection of exercises regularly. Exercises you can do at home are ideal for rest days too when your body needs time to recover. Remember

first, then do one of the workouts below, alternating between them. Each takes 20 to 30 minutes. Except where noted, do three sets of 20 reps. Increase the reps each week until you get to 50, then increase resistance.Workout 1 Overhead press and squat

, stomach pulled in, and extend your arm and leg. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then change sides. Do two sets with a 10- to 20-second rest between.Run the first running segment, then finish with five minutes of easy running.LOWER-BODY BLAST (45 mins)Find a

help:Trunk Curl-UpThis provides full support for the back while isolating and strengthening the abdominal muscles. Lie on your back and place your feet up on a chair, with your hips and knees bent at 90-degree angles. Curl up slowly, six to 12 inches

1. The BurpeeWhy?The burpee is the ultimate exercise for your chest, arms, front of shoulders, thighs and and abdominals - if you only have five minutes to spare, then this is the exercise to give you total body conditioning. Your bodyweight