Running Warm-Up
Why? When? and How to Warm Up for Your Run
The interim between the spring and fall running season can be a great opportunity to evaluate yourself as a runner. I spent last week reflecting on past accomplishments and setting new goals for myself, and this week I've been reflecting a bit on areas that I can improve as a runner. One area in particular where I could really improve is in some of the ancillary activities that are associated with running. Things like proper running warm-up and cool-down routines, strength-training, and cross-training.
While I continue to rebuild a solid base in running, and gradually increase my mileage, I think now is the perfect time to start building some good habits. I've finally started running more consistently again over the last couple of weeks and I've been focused on fitting in a quick warm-up before every run. It's something that's so simple, yet for whatever reason, seems so burdensome if it's not part of your routine.
Why You Should Warm-Up
It can be hard enough just to find the motivation to run, and when I'm ready to run, I want to just get myself out the door and go. Squeezing in even 5-10 minutes of running warm-up exercises always just seemed like another barrier to me so I would often opt to just skip it. I would usually just take the first mile or so a bit slower than normal and convince myself that was enough.
Sure, running will warm up your legs somewhat, but it's not nearly as effective as a dedicated warm-up routine aimed at targetting and activating specific muscle groups. A warm-up routine literally "warms" up your muscles which have been linked to better performance on your run, but also less risk of injury.
Performing a series of dynamic stretches and exercises increases the elasticity of your muscles and increases your natural range of motion. This will not only allow your muscles to contract and respond faster, but it will also encourage a more efficient stride on your run.
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When Should You Warm-Up?
Before EVERY run. This is the part where I still need a lot of work but I'm getting better at it. The trick here is to not think of warming up as an additional requirement before your run but to start thinking about the warm-up as a PART of your run. If you find a good program, you can perform a quick running warm-up in about 5-minutes.
Warm-ups should also take place as close to the start of your run as possible. If you wait too long, your muscles will, surprise, cool back down and negate the benefits of the warm-up. If you can find a straight strip of grass or sidewalk near where you typically run, just give yourself 5-minutes right before you start your watch to perform a few simple exercises.
How Should You Warm-Up?
Your running warm-up routine shouldn't be an intense workout but it should actively engage the muscles that you're planning to use during on your run. Dynamic stretching that focuses on quads, hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings are excellent options for increasing your range of motion and raising the temperature of the muscles in your legs to help increase your efficiency.
On race day, you may want to find a more comprehensive warm-up routine, but for quick midweek training runs, here are 5 of my go-to exercises. I'll do each exercise along about a 20m straightaway. If I'm lucky enough to be running somewhere that offers a nice flat stretch of grass, I also like to do my warm-up barefoot to strengthen and activate the muscles in my feet.
- Walking Lunges
- Butt Kicks
- High Knees
- Karaoke
- Frankenstein Walk
If I'm in a pinch or short on time, I may just limit myself to those 5 exercises. If I've got the time though, I'm actually really enjoying this warm-up/cool-down routine that was shared by fellow BibRave Pro, Jenna, on her blog.
Pre-marathon, I never paid much attention to warming up before my training runs, I was just focused on running. Sure, that got me through the race, but with how difficult and slow recovery has been, I'm starting to work a lot more intentionally on those ancillary activities that I know will make me a better runner.
A solid running warm-up routine is one of those things that you won't really recognize the importance of until it's too late. I'm looking forward to building it into my running habits while I rebuild my base, and can't wait to see how it pays off in my next race!