A proper warm up is important for many reasons.
Simply put, it should should prepare your body for the desired intensity level of your upcoming run. It also offers you a few moments to transition your attention and mindful focus to your body from whatever you were doing before your workout.
Follow along with the video samples below. Feel free to pare the movements down, but follow the general progression.
Trail Running and Walking Warm Up
General Running and Walking Warm Up
Detailed, with explanations
General Running and Walking Warm Up
Use this quick summary once you have been through the first video above.
If your running pace is under a 10 minute mile,
we recommend adding a lunge series at the end of the warm up above.
If you are going to do a hard speed interval or plyometrics
in your workout, add these warm up elements.
Summary of Basic Warm Up Movements
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Arm Swings – feet together, step one forward, step other forward: soften knees & hips & allow pelvis to turn so that the swing of the arms comes from the legs & pelvis. Move your center, your pelvis
Stand on One Leg – “If you want to run, you have to do it on one”, find the back of the hip activated to hold you as you stand
Swing Legs to the Front – allow the arms to rotate opposite the legs for counterbalance, notice what is active in the hip of the standing leg, let the leg swing behind you & loosen the front of the hip when you swing back. Let the hamstring stretch as you swing to the front.
Swing Legs to Sides – arms swing opposite, stretch out the outside of the hip & leg
Elephant Swings Trunk – stand legs wide swing overhead to drop & swing arms through
Lunge Swings – open up front of back hip, dropping into back of front hip
Heel Kicks / Butt Kicks – slowly walking forward; land the feet lightly underneath you, leave the knee & thigh straight under the body to create a stretch in the quad / front of thigh
High Knees – quick & light, soft quiet landing, continuing forward, stretch the back of the hip, bring the foot up under you to your hip
continue high knees but with pulling foot to butt, light quick landing & hold pelvis level, quick feet without a lot of hopping or jumping up.
Open the Gate, Close the Gate – flex hip & knee, while abducting then adducting
Lunge – drop into the back of the hip, allow the back leg to stretch back behind you, stretching the front of the hip
Lunge with Torso Rotation & Arms Overhead – take a deeper stretch into the hip & feel the engagement diagonal across the front from the hip to the shoulder
Walking Lunge with Arms Elbows Crossing Midline – start low & slow, pick up speed & reduce squat distance to progress into a run.
Hopping Lunge – quick switch of legs
Run, Enjoy & then end it properly with a dynamic cool down.
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