My Run/Session Warm Up Routine.

It would be very easy to walk straight out of the door and get running. I’m sure many of you do, and I did too for a very long time. I never thought much of it. However, how do we expect our body's to move freely without restriction, or causing damage, if we don’t warm it up? A quick pre-run warm up can leave us feeling so much better on our run and also help avoid injuries caused by running on cold muscles.

The routine I do prior to an easy run does differ to that before a session. However, both have the same effect of preparing my body. My pre-session warm up routine is just a bit more in-depth and extended as I am preparing my body to move a lot faster, therefore there is no time for it to warm up once I get going, meaning it needs to be fully ready to go.

Easy run warm up
The first part of any day for me, whether I’ve got an easy run or a session, is to do some activation exercises. These tend to be smaller movements that just wake the body up and get it ready. I usually use a band, so if you have one of these (of any resistance), it’s a great place to start. You can start with it around your ankles, and move the legs against the resistance, do some crab walks or clam movements. These start the body and muscles working, giving it a warning that it is going to start working.

Drills
I then move onto doing some drills. I start slow with these and gradually speed them up/make them more intense. This again allows the body to warm up as you move through the exercises. I start with a smaller exercise such a toe walks, then do some high knees, legs swings, etc.

Get easy running.
Now I have woken up my body and moved gradually through the motions, I can start running. These don’t have to take long, even just 5 minutes of preparing your body is enough to make a big difference.

As you start running, listen and notice your body. If some areas feel tighter/stiffer then others, you know to focus on these ahead of your next run. Your body will tell you where you need to warm it up next time, if you have not focused enough on such an area.

Session warm up

As with an easy run, I always approach a session firstly with some activation exercises. Instead of then progressing on to drills, I go for a warm up jog. 

Warm up jog.
A warm up jog is an extremely easy jog. There is no pace set to this, but it is a pace that does not strain your body at all, or feel challenging. It is merely designed to wake the body up. Start of as slow as your body needs that day, and remain easy throughout, but move towards the slower end of your easy pace. This jog should not take anything out of you but instead add to your performance. It should wake you up without tiring you. 

Drills.
As with my easy run, I then move onto drills. Prior to a session I do quite a few more drills than before an easy run, but similarly, I work through the motions gradually. I start with toe walks and scoops, I then progress to high knees and kick backs, then introduce some skips and faster movements. Not only does this warm the body up, but it gets it responding and reacting quicker. The faster movements get the legs ready to react to faster paces. 

Strides.
The final part of the warm up is strides. This is a distance of around 60-100m, where you gradually build the pace to prepare the legs for the paces you are about to do your session at. You can start at around 50% and work up to 80% in this short distance. Your body should be fully warm by now, but the stride is the final preparatory step in bridging the gap between a cold body and one that is ready to work hard. 

Not only does warming up make your body feel better when you start running, it also helps avoid injuries than can be caused by running on cold muscles. If you tend to neglect the pre-run warm up or find yourself getting lots of muscle twinges, try getting your body moving fluidly and warm before your next run.