Warm-up before running – principles and exercises

Every athlete, even those who are just starting their journey with running, knows that warming up is very important before starting any sports activity. You can think back to your school years when warm-ups always started in PE lessons. 

Should you warm up before running? YES. A properly performed warm-up will ensure that you are less likely to get injured and get sore, and will allow you to perform better with less energy. 

In this article, I’ll show you how to warm-up before running, as well as outline some exercises you should do during your warm-up. See what we have to offer you! 

Should you warm up before running? – reasons why

Now I’m going to show you exactly why you should perform a warm-up before running. There are several reasons!

• Higher muscle temperature – when you warm up your body (the temperature can rise by 1-2 degrees), especially your muscles, your limbs are more flexible. Muscles contract and stretch when you run. Therefore, if you stretch them beforehand, and warm them up then you won’t feel pulling and heaviness. As a result, you will get more pleasure from running.
• Greater fitness – during the warm-up your heart rate also increases. As a result, your heart starts to work a little faster, and more oxygen is delivered to your muscles. Therefore, your capacity is increased. Why is this so important? Because this allows you to achieve better results while running. 
• Less chance of injury – during the warm-up, the muscles warm up and stretch. Therefore, they will be less prone to injury. This is important because some muscles are more exposed to injury, e.g. the biceps femoris muscle, and Achilles tendon. Take care of yourself. A few minutes of warm-up can work wonders. 
• Less fatigue – by warming up, you prevent your body from becoming exhausted sooner. This allows you to run more efficiently, effectively, and for longer. 
• Increases adrenaline production – this allows you to train more intensively.

How long should the warm-up before running last? 

Let me start by saying that warm-up exercises are not exhausting. You don’t have to worry that you will lose your running energy and have no strength. The warm-up exercises are meant to stimulate your body and prepare you for physical activity. 

A good warm-up before running should last around 15 minutes. 

“That long? I don’t have that much time, I’d rather run more.”

You can do a shorter warm-up that lasts 10 minutes. Exercises can even take a few minutes, but be sure to do them. You already know the importance of a warm-up and its benefits. 

Warm-up before running – what is it? 

Warm-ups before running and other physical activities consist of dynamic stretching of all body parts. 

“All parts of the body? I think during the warm-up before running I should focus on the legs. After all, when running, the legs work the most.“

This is true, but not only. Legs, torso, arms, and glutes work during running. If you want to find out exactly what muscles work during running, click HERE. To maintain the correct running technique and be prepared for the effort, you need to warm up all the muscle parts.

I must tell you that this type of exercise will also help you get rid of the strain after a day at work in front of the computer. That’s why it’s a good idea to add exercises that stretch your neck, spine, and hands. Take the extra minutes and do all the necessary exercises and ensure that your whole body is warmed up and stretched. 

Warm-up before running – dynamic and static exercises 

Earlier mentioned that you should do dynamic exercises before running. But what about the static ones? 

Do not do static exercises before running. You can use this type of exercise for stretching after training. Why? Let’s see the definitions of these two types of exercises: 

• Dynamic warm-up – improves the range of motion of stats, and activates different muscle groups. They involve stretching a muscle quickly and returning it to its natural position. 
• Static warm-up – are designed to strengthen muscles. They involve tensing and relaxing muscle groups. 

Static stretching can weaken you quickly and you won’t have the full energy for running. This can translate into the timing, length, and effectiveness of your workout. 

Warm-up exercises before running 

I am about to show you warm-up exercises before running. In each case, you should do the exercise for about 50 seconds and give yourself about 10 seconds to rest and breathe deeply. That’s all you should know for now. 

Let’s get started! 

1.Forward and backward leg sweeps 

What the exercise gives you?: Warms up the gluteal and quadriceps muscles. 

Here I have to suggest two ways in which you can perform this exercise. 

First way 

• Stand straight with a slight stride, back straight. 
• Straighten your arms in front of you. 
• Reach your right leg to your right hand. 
• Then with your right hand to your right arm. 

Second way 

• For this exercise, you will need a chair. 
• Stand sideways to the chair that will be your support. 
• Place your hand on the top of the chair’s backrest. 
• Then lift the leg that is further away from the chair and start sweeping it back and forth. 
• Then change sides and do the same exercise for the other leg. 

2. Heel to butt 

What the exercise gives you: This exercise primarily works the quadriceps muscles of the thigh. 

• Stand up straight. 
• Raise one leg and bend it at the knee. 
• Grab your ankle with your hand and touch your buttock with your heel. 
• Repeat this exercise for the other leg as well. 

3. Knee to chest 

What the exercise gives you?: It works the muscles of the lower back, buttocks, and thoracolumbar fascia.

• Stand straight and then lift one leg. 
• Grab the knee with your hands and pull it to your chest. 
• Repeat this exercise for the other leg as well. 

You can also perform this exercise while lying down. Lie comfortably on the mat and draw your leg to your chest with your hands. 

4. Lunges 

What the exercise gives you?: Warms up the thighs and buttocks. 

• Stand straight, then take one step forward. 
• The leg that is in front should be bent, and the leg behind should be straight /or the knee can be placed on the floor.  
• While taking a step, start lowering your hips. 
• Put your hands on the bent leg in front/ or on your hips. 

5. Hip rotation

What the exercise gives you?: Strengthens deep abdominal and back muscles

• Stand straight. Keep your legs slightly apart. 
• Then place your hands on your hips. 
• Start slowly making circles with your hips – first a few times to the left side, and then a few times to the right side.

6. Shoulder rolls 

What the exercise gives you?: stretch and warm up your arm muscles 

• Stand straight with your legs slightly apart 
• Then circle your shoulders – forward and backward. 
• Do this exercise for 50 seconds – 5 times forward, 5 times backward, and so on until the time is up, alternating.

7. Trunk bends 

What the exercise gives you?: Stretches and warms up the oblique abdominal muscles.

• Stand with your feet apart and raise one arm. 
• Perform side-to-side.
• Remember to keep your abdomen tight when performing this exercise. 

8. Bouncing on one leg 

This exercise speaks for itself. Simply perform about 20 jumps on each leg. This will help you prepare for running. After all, you are constantly rising and falling while running. 

9. Mountain climbers

What the exercise gives you: Muscles of the thighs, buttocks, arms, and abdomen. 

• Rest your palms on the floor, legs straight – position yourself as you would for a push-up. 
• Place your hands shoulder-width apart, your back should be flat and your abdomen tight. 
• Then draw one knee to your chest. If you don’t touch it, it’s ok. Do not try to do the exercise above your capacity. 
• Return to the starting position. 
• Then do the same movement with the other leg.

Do this exercise at a relatively fast pace.

10. Inchworm 

What the exercise gives you?: Warms up and stretches your core, deltoids, and hamstrings.

• Stand straight, then bend at the waist. 
• Extend your arms forward and place them on the floor. 
• Then walk your hands forward until you reach a plank position. 
• Stay in this position for about 2 seconds, then return to the starting position. 

What about after exercise? A run? 

After the exercises you’ve done, start with a leisurely jog. Prepare your body even more for the workout ahead of you. Remember that for it to be effective you must first warm up well. This is the foundation. 

Trot for about 5 minutes. Then you’ll be warmed up and ready for an intense and full workout.

Now you know how to warm-up before running. What’s more, you’ve learned the importance of warm-up and its benefits. Choose for yourself exercises that will make your training fruitful and, above all, safe.