How To Warm Up Effectively For A Run

Whether you’re marathon training or a casual runner, warming up should be one of the most crucial parts of your exercise routine. A good warm-up offers a vast range of benefits, from reducing the risk of injury to getting you in the right frame of mind for exercise, yet an alarming number of us lace up our trainers and shoot out of the door without making time to prepare our muscles for exercise. After all, motivating yourself to get out and run can be difficult at the best of times, let alone when you’ve got to eat up even more time by warming up before you get out and about. 

However, warming up effectively for a run does not have to be a laborious and time-intensive task. The way you warm up is much more important than the amount of time you spend doing so - the key is ensuring that you are priming your muscles, increasing blood circulation, and preparing your body for the physical demands of running. This can be achieved by following a relatively simple warm-up routine, which is why we’ve outlined our top tips on how to warm up effectively for a run in this article. 

Start With Dynamic Stretching

The best warm-up for a run will always start with dynamic stretching. When you think about stretching, you might typically imagine static movements and positions that you would hold for a few seconds at a time. While these types of stretches do help your body get ready for exercise, it’s dynamic stretching that will really prepare your muscles for the unique demands of running.

Dynamic stretches are stretches that incorporate some degree of movement such as leg swings, walking lunges and hip rotations. The focus on movement rather than stillness really engages and activates the muscles that you use while running, preventing muscle tightness and subsequent injury, and promoting better flexibility over time. Start by choosing around three different stretches that target different areas of your body, adding more if you’re planning on going for a particularly long run. 

Incorporate Mobility Exercises

With the key stretching element of your warm-up out of the way, you should also incorporate a range of mobility exercises into any running-specific warm-up routine. Running is a naturally high-impact exercise that also requires sudden shifts and turns and this means that muscle flexibility is just as important as muscle endurance. Mobility exercises will help you to improve this aspect of your fitness by targeting the joints and improving your flexibility and range of motion. This not only helps you to avoid injury but also enhances the efficiency at which you can run.

Focus particularly on the mobility of areas that take the most of the impact when running, like your calves, hips and ankles. Try exercises that target these areas like the downward dog and hip circles. The key is to promote a range of movement through the joints, getting the body ready for exercise and preventing muscle stiffness.

Set Off Gradually 

When you do set off and start the running part of your run, shift your mindset and consider the first few minutes as part of your warm-up. Before accelerating to your target pace, keep things steady and start with a brisk walk or a light jog. While it’s always easy to run with your ego and go as fast as you can for as long as you can, steadily raising your heart rate and warming up your muscles with a lighter introduction helps your body get used to the increased movement. Skipping this step can often lead to feeling fatigued more quickly, so think of it as a short-term investment in the longevity of your run.

Invest In A Good Warm Up Jacket

When warming up effectively for a run, the key in all of these steps is to ensure that your muscles gradually get warmer and that there is no period of sudden shock or transition between temperatures. In both colder months or situations like race day where there’s a period of waiting around outdoors before you set off, this risk of your muscles getting cold is greater and it can be well worth investing in a good quality running warm-up jacket to give your body the best chance of easing into your workout.

Look for a jacket that is made from breathable and moisture-wicking fabrics, like our innovative Pursuit Robe designed specifically for everyday athletes. The slimline cut and grid fleece lining ensure that you stay warm without overheating, therefore promoting conditions favourable for exercise. This hybrid changing robe jacket is also exceptionally lightweight and easy to move around in, with hidden zips and stretch panels perfect for your dynamic stretching. The Pursuit Robe is a great running warm-up jacket and completes your effective warm-up routine; when it’s finally time to set off, you can feel confident that your muscles are primed and ready to go.