How To Warm-up Before Running

Getting back into running? Trying to figure out where to start? The best way to start your run is with a dynamic warm-up. This allows for increased blood flow to the muscles, aids in raising your core temperature and metabolism, and also provides increased stretch to the muscles you will soon be activating during your run. A dynamic warm-up can reduce your risk for injury and simply prepares the body for activity.

Dynamic Running Warm-up Sample:

  1. Forward leg swings
  2. Lateral leg swings
  3. Walking straight leg kicks
  4. Walking toe scoops
  5. Lunges
  6. High knees / walking knee hugs to chest
  7. Butt kicks
  8. Skips
  9. Side Shuffle
  10. Grapevine

Warm-up Ideas Before Exercise

Before you exercise, you need to perform a 5 minute warm-up to get the blood circulating to prepare your body for the activity. Depending on your form of exercise, it is always good practice to mimic your exercise activity at a lower intensity for a warm-up. Below is a list of warm-up activities.

– walk slowly for 3-5 minutes
– march in place for 5 minutes
– do 10-15 squats
– move your ankles in a circle and pump them up and down
– stand on one leg and swing the other back and forth
– move arms in circles in front of you and out to the side
– reach overhead several times
– put your arms out to your side and twist left and right

If you want a more aggressive warm up for running, you can perform jumping jacks, walk up and down stairs, or perform a fast pace walk to progress into a run.