How to: Warm-up for a run (quickly!)
If you’ve been to running camp or participated in one of our virtual programs, you know the importance of adding a dynamic warm-up to your pre-run routine. Thorough, fine, or lackluster, some sort of active warm-up is key - whatever you have time for. This is especially true in the winter months, when the sub-freezing temperatures make it even harder for our body to get moving and ready for the impact of running.
Ideally, a dynamic warm-up gives your body all the time it needs to loosen up and activate your running muscles. But in reality, if you’re anything like me, this could take upwards of 30 minutes on a particularly tired or sore day, and we don’t often have time to get through a 15-30 minute warm-up before we head out the door. We do, however, always have five minutes to do a few exercises before we run. If you don’t feel like you even have five minutes, consider making your run shorter and using those extra five minutes to work through an active dynamic routine. Your first couple of miles will be much higher quality and enjoyable if you do.
Here is a go-to 5 minute warm-up routine of mine. I try to consider this the bare minimum for every run, and will regularly add more exercises to the mix when I have the time and motivation.
Windshield wipers - ~30 seconds
Knee to chest - 5x each side
Knee to side - 5x each side
Double leg bridges - 10x
Single leg bridges - 5x each side
Dead bug core exercise - ~30 seconds
Knee to elbow plank exercise - 5x each side
Front lunges - 10x each side
Side lunges - 10x each side
Some sort of light jumps - ~30 seconds
Leg swings - bonus!
When you have more time, another excellent set of exercises to mix into your warm-up activation and mobility sessions is the Myrtl routine. Here is a great video by Runner’s World of the Myrtl routine.
