Unlock Your Stride: The Right Way To Warm Up For Running

The Importance Of A Warm Up Before A Run

Have you ever been in an older car on a cold winters morning, and you grimace as the old thing takes forever to warm-up to get you to your destination?

In a similar way we can also think of your body like that car in the dead of winter. It can take your body a little while for it to “warm-up” and perform at its best.

When we implement a well thought out and structured warm-up, involving dynamic warm-up exercises, pre run stretches and specific running warm up drills, there are physiological markers that can be manipulated in your favour (before you run) to ensure that your body is ready to perform at its best. 

A well designed warm-up has shown positive effects on performance by improving:

• Muscle contraction speed 
• Muscle rate of force development 
• Reaction times 
• Muscle strength and power 
• Muscle lubrication 
• Blood flow to active muscles 
• Oxygen delivery to active muscles 

Overall, these metrics ensure that:

• Your muscles are warm
• Your tendons are elastic
• Your leg stiffness is better
• Your heart is ready to pump it louder 

Therefore, you are hopefully left with a reduction in injury risk and improved performance.

That all sounds great right?

But you may be coming here confused with after reading the Everest size of information out there on what you should do pre-run.

So let’s start off with 3 common misconceptions that you might have read, and snuff those out before they wreak havoc on your soul.

3 Misconceptions About Warm Up Before Running

Misconception #1: Static stretches alone are enough before a run

Static stretching has really gone out of fashion in recent years as a way of warming up before running. Recent research has suggested that it may even reduce muscle power if performed before exercise/sport. Does this mean we should put stretching on the back burner? 

Picture this. You’ve met that old-school running coach who told you that pre-run stretches are a MUST, otherwise you’ll get injured. You may now be confused about what the research is telling you, and what old mate is saying. Before you panic about your stretching routine, dont’. It’s likely not doom and gloom as you may now be thinking (more on this later on). What we now know is that a well-rounded warm-up before running is the way to go. This means that on top of a few static stretches, you should also incorporate activities that raise your heart rate and central nervous system drive, and also dynamically activate the right muscles. 

Misconception #2: Slow and steady wins the race, except for your warm-up routine. 

Whether it’s you or someone you know, we’ve all seen that runner who takes until the end of time to warm themselves up for a run (because they need it apparently). Your warm-up can be both COMPREHENSIVE and CONCISE. One good way to format about your warm-up is by the RAMP warm-up protocol.

• RAISE your body temperature, blood flow to active muscles and muscle elasticity.
• ACTIVATE the right muscles.
• MOBILIZE your body in the movement patterns you are about to perform.
• POTENTIATE the muscles required for running

An example of this in action would be →

1. Lower intensity run than your planned pace (3-5 minutes)
2. Lunges/Squats/Hip locks/Hurdle walks/Leg swings
3. A-skip/B-skip/high knees

Keep in mind that there are numerous other options for you to incorporate. The list above gives you a good idea of how to structure your warm-up. If you chose 1-3 of the last two categories, the whole routine should last 10-15 minutes.

Misconception #3: Its okay to skip your warmup for short runs.

What you may not realise is that during a run, a force approximately 4x your body weight is transmitted through your legs with each step you take. Although your run might be short, you are still experiencing this level of force through your legs from the get-go. It is therefore important to avoid neglecting your warm-up, even for “easy” runs, to give your body the best chance of being ready for the task at hand. 

The Right Way To Warm Up Before Running

All the gear and still no idea?

If you are still unsure what your running warm-up might look like, here’s an example list of some of the most bang for your buck dynamic warm-up exercises that will target all the right muscle groups and get you ready for your run:

1. LONG LEVER BRIDGE
   

   
   Hamstring + glute function as a unit is vital as you cast your leg forward into striking the ground. Rather than doing isolated hamstring and glute activation, this exercise is a great way to couple them together and mimic the leg action you perform as you run.

2. SIDE PLANK LEG LIFTS

   
   Lateral hip muscles (glute medius, glute minimus and tensor fascia latae) are very important during running. They function to stabilise your hips as you strike the ground and push off to your next step. Side planks are a great way to not only hit those muscles, but also others that span down the side of your leg.

    

    

3. HIP LOCK SPLINDLES ON A WALL

   
   A hip lock is when all the muscles around your hip are contracting in synergy to stabilise your pelvis/leg, especially when you are pushing off your toe during running. Poor hip locks cause energy leaks around your hip, and make it harder for your hips to function effectively and efficiently during running. This exercise is not only a great way to help get your body performing hip locks before you run, but it also warms your body up in the running action before you hit the road.

    

    

4. A-SKIPS/POGOS

   
   Any runner will know how important plyometrics are for running. Don’t leave them just for training, they’re great for warming up too! A-skips focus on the whole running action, and pogos work on ankle/calf function.

    

    

Dynamic vs Static Warm Up – Which To Do When? 

“All the things she said, running through my head.”

In this day and age of everyone being an expert, it is incredibly hard to know whether you should include static stretching before a run, whether you should only do it after, or whether you should only do dynamic stretches beforehand. 

At one stage, we were told that static stretching prior to your run is necessary to prevent injuries. Then the consensus shifted, and static stretching was thought to reduce muscle power/strength, and therefore performance. 

Effects of Static Stretching

Great, so what should we think said the sheep?

First off, let’s start by elaborating on what we know about the effects of static stretching. 

More recent evidence suggests that when static stretching is for 60 seconds or less and within a well-rounded warm-up routine, the reduction in muscle strength and power was around 1-2%. If the stretching was performed for any longer than this, a 4-7.5% reduction was seen. Due to the potential positive effect on muscle flexibility and musculotendinous injury prevention, the bottom line is that static stretching less than 60 seconds is a sound warm-up modality to include in your routine.

So, static stretches won’t hurt me, but which ones do I do? 

The reality is, you can choose any! As long as you are keeping under the 60 second time cap, you aren’t causing significant performance decreases in any muscle. 

This means that you can really pick any stretch that feels good for you before a run knowing that it will only do you good.

However, if you truly want to follow a guide, here’s the one for you.

Best Pre-Run Stretches

The most common tight area complaints I hear from my runner patients are: 

• Hip flexors/Rectus Femoris 
• Rectus femoris 
• Hamstrings

During running, we want to ensure that our pelvis is able to function optimally. This entails a more neutral posture to ensure that all of your pelvis muscles are at their optimal length, allowing them to produce force equally. To ensure your pelvis is able to adopt this optimal posture, here are some examples of pre-run stretches that you can do prior to your run:

1. HIP FLEXOR/REC FEM STRETCH

2. PIGEON STRETCH

3. HAMSTRING STRETCH

How long should you stretch for?

The current evidence suggests 30-60 seconds is the minimum amount of time to elicit a benefit. 

Key Takeaways

SO to sum up: 

1. Warm-ups are a must for all runners of all distances
2. Warm-ups can improve performance and reduce injury risk
3. Static stretching isn’t your enemy, but also isn’t the be all and end all
4. Use the RAMP approach to maximise your warm-up quality
5. Don’t forget your hip locks

References:

1. Chaabene H, Behm DG, Negra Y, Granacher U. Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Muscle Strength and Power: An Attempt to Clarify Previous Caveats. Front Physiol. 2019 Nov 29;10:1468. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01468. PMID: 31849713; PMCID: PMC6895680.
2. Jeffreys, I. (2021). The warm-up. In Advanced Personal Training (pp. 129-142). Routledge.
3. Behm, D. G., Kay, A. D., Trajano, G. S., & Blazevich, A. J. (2021). Mechanisms underlying performance impairments following prolonged static stretching without a comprehensive warm-up. European journal of applied physiology, 121, 67-94.
4. Arntz, F., Markov, A., Behm, D. G., Behrens, M., Negra, Y., Nakamura, M., … & Chaabene, H. (2023). Chronic Effects of Static Stretching Exercises on Muscle Strength and Power in Healthy Individuals Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review with Multi-level Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 53(3), 723-745.
5. Bishop D. Warm up I: potential mechanisms and the effects of passive warm up on exercise performance. Sports Med. 2003;33(6):439-54. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200333060-00005. PMID: 12744717.