Warm up for running

Why? The purpose of a warm up is to prepare your body for the activity you’re about to do. In the case of running, the prime purpose is to increase your core temperature. The benefits of this are to: increase the force capacity of a muscle, potentially reduce the risk of injury and increase the range of motion. Muscles will perform better when they are ‘warm’ versus ‘cold'.

How? Your warm up should prepare for the type of work you’re about to do. A proper active warm-up aims to find the sweet spot between the muscles becoming sufficiently warm but not physically taxing you before you start. In general a warm up for a shorter event (race) will be longer and more intensive than that for a longer race such as a marathon. Everyone will respond slightly differently to warm ups and have drills that they prefer - it is a matter of testing and seeing which ones fit you best! A great activity to include for a couple of minutes is backwards walking - yes exactly as it sounds! Walking backwards outside or on a treadmill (very slowly) can help improve balance and spacial awareness.

Here are some suggested warm up protocols to try:

For a steady zone 2 run or longer event: Start with a couple of minutes of brisk walking and then add in some of the following drills: caraioca, front and side leg swings, hip openers, so that you loosen up but are not firing on all cylinders. Then start with a gentle run and increase the speed gradually so that you bring your heart rate up to the target after about 10 minutes.

For a session with tempo work or 10 race: brisk walk for a few minutes then gradually increase intensity until top of zone 2 after 10-15 minutes. Continue with a couple of minutes of drills such as lateral jumping jacks and caraoica. Finish with some strides (3 × 30 seconds ‘fun fast’ with 30 second walking recovery) to raise your heart rate. You may want to wear an extra layer of clothing during the warm up that you can then remove when you start the faster work.

For a session with intervals or a short race such as a 5k: start with a gentle jog and gradually increase intensity until top of zone 2 after at 10-15 minutes. Continue with a couple of minutes of explosive, dynamic drills such as high knees and butt kicks and exaggerated skipping. Finish with some strides (5 × 30 seconds fast with 30 second walking recovery) to raise your heart rate. You may want to wear an extra layer of clothing during the warm up that you can then remove when you start the faster work.

When? The time during a warm up and the beginning of a race should not be more than 15 minutes. Make sure you are dressed warmly to preserve your body heat! If you have to wait in the corral at the start of a race it is good practise to wear old/thrift clothes that you can then leave at the starting line in designated bags. Check with your race if they provide this service!