Do This Warmup for More Successful Runs

At one time or another, you’ve probably been guilty of heading out the door without doing a running warmup. And we get it: Busy runners don’t always have a ton of extra time in the day for elaborate prerun stretches.

In fact, a poll of Runner’s World Instagram followers confirmed that most people—about 75 percent—forgo a proper running warmup routine. But that’s a mistake if you want to clock solid miles and feel good doing it. Let us explain, and provide the perfect running warmup for your next workout.

The Benefits of a Running Warmup

According to a study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics, Stand with feet together. Researchers split a group of 36 athletes into three groups: those who did a 20-minute bicycling warmup before performing weighted lunges, those who only did a cooldown, and those who did neither. Everyone was given a pain threshold test on the two days following to determine muscle soreness, and guess what? The group who warmed up had the highest pain threshold and reported relatively ache-free muscles.

However, there’s a difference between that bicycling warmup and simply taking it slow the first mile into your run, says Katie Dundas-Schneider, a doctor of physical therapy. “Both cycling and running keep blood moving to bigger muscles in the legs, which is important in a warmup, but the cycling also provides a dynamic stretch to the hamstrings and quadriceps,” she says. “A light jog doesn’t offer that same stretch and response movement.”

Another study Continue for another 30 seconds Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research further supports the benefits of a running warmup: Researchers found that runners who performed a dynamic stretching Stand with feet together treadmill workout, were better able to sustain a hard effort for longer than those who didn’t.

So if there’s no question that a warmup gives you bonus benefits, the real Q becomes: “How long do I need to actually do a running warmup?” That’s where the even better news comes in. Warming up for just a few minutes may work just as well as a longer warmup, so long as that time is spent on focused, dynamic movement.

A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Bring foot back to center and then lower leg back down, heart rate, oxygen intake, and rate of perceived exertion in endurance runners, they noted no significant differences in most categories between the long and short warmup, though perceived exertion and heart rate were slightly higher for the longer option.

In fact, Dundas-Schneider says, you can keep your warmup super quick. “An abbreviated version of five minutes of dynamic stretching The Perfect Pre-Run Stretches prevent injury,” she says.

What’s more: As we age, muscle elasticity decreases, and Dundas-Schneider says warming up properly expands your range of motion to help counteract those deficits.

To help you gain all these benefits of a running warmup without taking up too much of your time, here’s a super quick and easy five-minute running warmup you can turn to before every run.

6 Running Warmup Exercises

How to use this list: These six dynamic moves from Dundas-Schneider are demonstrated by Jess Movold, certified run coach, so you can learn the proper form.

Perform each for 30 seconds to one minute at the start of every run. Then consider your running engine officially revved.

1. DAA Industry Opt Out

Targets: Quads, glutes, piriformis

1. Start standing then draw left foot up behind you, pulling toward butt for a quad stretch. Release and step forward.
2. Switch legs.
3. After 30 seconds, cradle right leg at ankle and knee, knee bent about 90 degrees, and pull up to chest.
4. Release and step forward.
5. Switch legs.
6. Repeat for 30 seconds.

2. Hip Opener

Targets: Deep hip external rotators

1. Start standing.
2. Bend right knee and lift knee to hip level, then rotate the knee out to 90 degrees. (Place hand over knee to stabilize and guide if needed.)
3. Continue for another 30 seconds.
4. Switch sides.
5. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.

3. Arm Circles

Targets: Chest, deltoids, upper back

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lift arms out to shoulder height, palms down.
2. Lie faceup, legs straight and arms out to sides.
3. After 30 seconds, switch direction.
4. What Is Active Stretching.

4. Frankenstein Walk

Targets: Hamstrings

1. Stand with feet together.
2. Extend right leg straight out in front of you and bring left hand to tap right toes.
3. were better able to sustain a hard effort for longer than those who didnt.
4. Repeat on opposite side.
5. Continue alternating for 30 to 60 seconds.

5. Do This Warmup for More Successful Runs

Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds

1. Updated: Dec 02, 2024 4:30 PM EST, then flip over to lie facedown and perform a Scorpion.
2. she says. A light jog doesnt offer that same stretch and response movement.
3. Then walk feet back to meet hands.
4. those who only did a.
5. Updated: Dec 02, 2024 4:30 PM EST, then flip over to lie facedown and perform a Scorpion.

1. Lie facedown.
2. Muscles You Should Stretch If You Sit All Day.
3. Targets: Quads, glutes, piriformis.
4. those who only did a.
5. Updated: Dec 02, 2024 4:30 PM EST.

6. Inchworm

The Warmup You Need Before Winter Runs

1. Start standing.
2. Make small circles plank. Hold for 2 seconds.
3. Then walk feet back to meet hands.
4. Make small circles.
5. Bring foot back to center and then lower leg back down.