Warming up is the crucial part of your run that you may be missing out on.

In this blog post, we'll explore why a proper warm-up isn't just a routine but a powerful tool to keep you injury-free and boost your overall performance. We'll decode the signals your body sends when it's ready to tackle those miles and provide a simple test to check if your warm-up hits the mark.  Discover a range of warm-up activities, from brisk walks to dynamic stretches and strength exercises, tailored to suit your needs. 
In this article:

1. Who should warm up?

2. How do you know if your warm up is enough?

3. What kind of warm up should you do?

4. Warm up example with specifics

Who needs to warm up

Everyone needs to warm up, especially runners who have a history of injury or are currently injured. Runners who notice pain comes on at the beginning of their run that goes away after 1-2 miles you are prime candidates for a solid warm up. This symptom of pain at the beginning and then going away is text book “needs a warm up”.

A warm up prepares your muscles and circulatory system for the amount of activity you’re about to do. Your circulatory system needs to be primed so the blood vessels can expand to let the blood rush through them. And the blood vessels in your muscles need to be ready to accept all that blood flow.

When you warm up properly you’re telling your skeletal system “hey, we’re getting ready for the fight or flight aspect of our system” (vs the rest and digest which sends your blood to your internal organs to digest food).

So if you’ve ever noticed you have

1. Pain at the beginning of a run and it goes away after 1-2 miles

2. Pain at the beginning of a workout and it goes away after 20 minutes or so

3. Your muscles feel tight and cramping when you first get started on your run

4. Your joints feel stiff and tight at the beginning of your run or workout

5. Your legs feel like lead when you start running

Then you’ll benefit from a solid warm up.

All of those symptoms I listed are symptoms of your body not being ready to move around.

How do you know if your warm up is enough?

A warm up is sufficient when your heart rate is at least 20% above resting heart rate and you are breathing heavier. 

It can take a little trial and error to figure out how much is enough for you, but you’ll notice when you are warmed up properly you have no muscle cramping, if you used to have pain that came on at the beginning of a run and then went away then you’ll notice that pain never comes on, your muscles and legs don’t feel tight or like heavy weights/lead.

Any activity that increases your heart rate and breathing rate can be a warm up. The goal is to warm up your heart, lungs and the muscles you’ll be using on your run. I’ve listed the most common warm ups below.

Typically I recommend a combination of these 4 categories and it’s dependent on what type of injury my client has.

Walking

Walking is my favorite way to warm up for a run because I don’t need any extra equipment, like I would if I was cycling. Walking as a warm up means you choose a pace that increases your heart rate and breathing rate.

Choose a pace that is more than leisurely and you can still hold a comfortable conversation without needing to catch your breath too much.

Cycling

Cycling is a good way to warm up. I like to do this if I’m at the gym and the bikes are right next to the treadmill, since I don’t want to overstay my welcome on the treadmill. There is usually a time limit on the treadmill, so starting on the bike helps me not hit that limit.

Choose a RPM that feels comfortable and makes you work enough to increase your heart rate and breathing rate.

Choose a resistance level that isn’t so easy it feels like you’re whipping around the pedals and not so hard that you’re really digging in. Choose something comfortable.

Dynamic stretches

Dynamic stretches are body movements where you move your body part through as full of a range of motion as you can. One of the problems with running is that you are in relatively the same range of motion throughout the whole run… this causes tightness and stiffness in your joints and muscles. By incorporating dynamic stretches at the beginning of your run you can ward off some of those symptoms.

When you stretch this way you aren’t holding the position for any length of time, you’re getting in the position and moving through it. You’ll move on leg then the other leg and repeat for 10-20 repetitions on each side. These are also done rhythmically, so you have a pace to them. This helps increase your blood flow, so your heart rate and breathing rate increase.

Common ones are:

1. High knees

1. Standing. Jog in place or moving forward, aim to get your knees as high to your chest as possible, your thighs should move to become closer to parallel with the ground. Return to starting position. Repeat on the other side.

2. Butt kicks

1. Standing. Jog in place or moving forward, bend your knees so your heel moves toward your butt. Your knees should stay low and thighs stay perpendicular to the ground. Return to starting position. Repeat on the other side.

3. Abducted hip openers

1. Standing, moving diagonally forward. Bend your knee and your hip to lift your leg in the air, move your knee outward so your inner thigh shows forward. Place your foot on the ground. Repeat on the other side. This one is done best by shuffling diagonally toward the side of the leg you are moving and then switching to do the same to the other side as you go.

4. Adducted hip closers

1. Standing. Bend your knee and hip to lift your leg in the air, move your knee inward so your outer thigh shows forward (the motion is as if you were crossing your leg over the other one in front of you). Place your foot on the ground. Repeat on the other side.

5. Lateral leg swings

1. Standing. Holding onto a bench for balance. Leave enough space in front of you for your leg to move freely. Stand on your left leg, swing your right leg outward, away from your left leg, then swing your right leg inward toward and across your body in front. Repeat on right leg 10-20 repetitions before switching to the left side.

Body weight strength exercises

Some body weight strength exercises can be used to warm up specific parts of your body before you run. These strength exercises can be used in small doses when a runner has a history of muscles cramping up and it being unrelated to electrolyte levels/hydration levels.

Ankle/foot

1. DL Heel raises

1. Standing on both feet. Raise up on your toes going straight up in the air. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-10x

2. SL Heel raises

1. Standing on one foot. Raise up on your toes going straight up in the air. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-10x

Knee/hip

1. Squats

1. Standing. Bend at your knees and hips, stick out your butt. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-10x

2. Lunges

1. Standing. With one leg ahead of the other in a staggered stance. Bend your knees and drive your back knee down to the ground. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-10x

3. Lateral lunges

1. Standing. In a wide stance shift your weight toward one leg, bend that knee and stick out your butt. The other leg should be straight. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-10x.

4. SL Romanian Deadlift

1. Standing. On one leg, with arms out for balance, teeter forward with your shoulders while lifting your non-stance leg backward in the air. Aim to create the letter “T” from your head to your toes and the stance leg. Return to starting position. Repeat 5-10x.

Warm up example with specifics

This is an example of a warm up routine I’ve instructed some of my clients to use: They walk first, then dynamic stretches, then walk again. The total process is about 20-25 minutes, or the first mile of their run. This is a “walk, dynamic stretch, walk” warm up routine.

Walk for 5-10 minutes. 

Incorporate dynamic stretching.

1. High knees

2. Butt kicks

3. Abducted hip openers

4. Adducted hip closers

5. Lateral leg swings

Warm for 5-10 minutes.

As you can see, your warm-up isn't just a preliminary ritual; it's your secret weapon for injury-free, high-performance running. By understanding the importance of a proper warm-up, listening to your body's cues, and tailoring your routine to your unique needs, you can enhance your overall running experience. Remember, your body thrives when it's adequately prepared for the demands of your workout. So, keep those muscles limber, your heart rate up, and embrace the warm-up as an essential part of your training regimen. It's not just about starting your run; it's about ensuring you finish it strong, and continue to do so, mile after mile