Do You Need To Warm Up Before Running?

If we just tie up our running shoes and head straight out the door without going through a warm up, then we could increase our chances of injury on a run.

A warm should be something you try to do on every run, and we’re going to tell you why and how.

Should you stretch before a run? What’s a good warm up to do before running a race?

Here’s what you need to know about warming up before a run. 

WHY SHOULD YOU WARM UP BEFORE A RUN? 

It’s good practice to do a short warmup before every run. Sometimes this will involve some dynamic movements and drills, and other times you’ll also add an easy run before moving onto a harder or faster run.  

Warming up doesn’t necessarily mean stretching. In fact, it’s good advice to save the static stretching until after you’ve run. Before a run, focus on moving and activating the key muscles, not trying to stretch them. 

Warming up before a run can:

• Help to prevent injury by increasing blood flow to muscles and connective tissues
• Help to improve flexibility and performance
• Allow you to work on improving your running form 
• It’s a good way to psychologically prepare and get you into a mindset that’s ready to run
• Before a race or workout a warm up gets you primed for a harder effort

WHAT’S A GOOD WARM UP BEFORE RUNNING?

Before a run, you want to do some dynamic movements, not static stretches (static means a stretch you hold, like a classic quad stretch). Think about the main running joints and muscles and try to activate each of them before a run. Aim to spend 5-10 minutes doing this before a run. 

• Hip rotation movements like ‘windscreen wipers’ or a pigeon pose (just don’t go into a deep hold on the pose), and do some ankle rolls
• Do ‘the world’s greatest stretch’. A low lunge with one hand on the floor and your other arm in the air. It targets and opens up your whole body
• Dynamic movements like leg swings, butt kicks, high knees and running on the spot 
• You might like to use a foam roller or massage gun on tight muscles like glutes, hamstrings or calves
• Some runners use resistance bands for banded walks, and this can really activate your glutes 
• Do some movements to open your shoulders, chest and back 
• Add in some drills like A-skips, B-skips and straight leg runs
• Focus on any areas which are specific weaknesses for you, and spend extra time ensuring they are properly warmed up

Here’s Andy talking Sarah through some running drills to help with running form.

WHAT’S A GOOD WARM UP BEFORE A RACE?

If you are taking part in a race, then many runners will do a short run as part of their warm up, alongside the general warm up, mobility work and drills mentioned above.

This run warm up will see them increase their speed from a gentle jog through to goal race pace, plus a few shorter accelerations. A warm up could be anything from a couple of minutes to a couple of miles. 

In general, the shorter the race, the longer the warm up – so a warm up for a 5k will be longer than a warm up before a marathon. 

But if you aren’t aiming for a particular time, then your usual drills and dynamic movements, plus a very light jog, will likely be enough before a race. 

WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO DO A WARM UP BEFORE A RUN?

Sometimes you’re short on time and trying to fit a run in where you can. You may not want to spend 5-10 minutes of that time on a warm up, so what can you do?

First, if you have any areas which are routinely tight for, then give them the attention they need before any run. That could be feet, calves, glutes, or whatever body part you’re most likely to feel. Taking a minute to warm that up will always be beneficial. 

Otherwise, ease into your run gradually, and slowly increase your pace to allow your body to warm up as you run. Don’t just head out the door at full speed or you risk injuring yourself. 

HOW TO WARM UP BEFORE A RUN IF IT’S HOT OR COLD

On a hot day, you’re already going to be warm, but that’s not exactly the point. Warming up means preparing your joints, muscles and connective tissues for the run that’s coming, so it’s still good to go through a full warm up routine.

On a very cold day, you may want to spend some extra time getting warmer. You could do your warmup inside if it’s very cold, or just take an extra minute or two to get your muscles warmer and looser before running. You may also want to jog slowly for a couple of minutes before gradually increasing to your easy pace. 

WHAT ABOUT A COOL DOWN AFTER A RUN?

After a very hard run or race, you might want to run for a short time as a cool down. This is a way of gradually lowering your heart rate and reducing the stress response of a hard run, and that helps us towards our recovery.

When your run is over, you may want to do some stretching or flexibility exercises. With warm, loose muscles you could go through a stretch routine with static stretches. 

This can also help your muscles to relax and eliminate some of the waste products that build up during exercise.

Later in the day you could also do some more light stretching, yoga, or something like foam rolling to help your muscles recover. 

Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash