| Hi Friend!
Are you a runner?
Do you like to go outside for a run every once in a while?
If yes, it's time to update your running warm up.
It is no longer o.k. to run to warm up. You must warm up to run. Running is a plyometric activity in which you bound from 1-leg to the other and absorb multiple times your body weight with each foot strike onto 1-leg. If you're coming from sitting for a prolonged period of time or standing for a prolonged period of time, but not a mixture of 3-dimentional movements that are multi-joint and compound movements, then you're body most likely has shortened long muscles and lengthened short muscles. Your stabilizers may not be activated and your mobile joints may be stiff. This leads to injury and decreased performance.
It's the 21st Century so you mine as well be the smart runner vs. the reactive runner. The smart runners practice smart warm ups. They don't run to warm up anymore. They warm up to run. The reactive runner, runs to warm up and then manages all the repetitive injuries that come along from improper warm ups.
Run Warm Up 2nd Stretch (3-10min): your specific tight spots (e.g. plantar fascia, calves, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, lats, pecs, triceps) 4th Cool Down Stretch (5-10min): your specific tight spots.
Here's a list of a common dynamic warm up routine I use and share with clients. - Dynamic Calf Push x10 each
- High Knee Hug
- High Knee Skip
- High Knee Run x 20 each
- Walking Quad Pull
- Heel Up Run x20 each
- Backwards Single Leg Dead Lift to Y-Raise
- Straight Leg March
- Straight Leg Skip
- Lunge to Instep with Hip & Toe Raise
- Backwards Lunge to Side Reach
- Lateral Lunge (switch ½ way)
- Drop Lunge (switch ½ way)
- Inchworm
Every exercise has a purpose and that's to get your tight muscles and stiff joints loose and your inactive and hyper mobile joints stable. It warms up your neuromuscular, cardiovascular and endocrine systems. It elevates your heart rate, blood pressure and core temperature. It wakes you up. It activates your locomotor coordination. It prepares you to run, to put force into the ground to perform well and to reduce your chances of injury. It's fun, it becomes both your physical and mental warm up routine. It calming and safe. Its where you can escape and get into your zone.
This is a general warm up that most anyone who can go out for a run, can start with. It's not tailored to your specific body or your specific training plan or forth coming event, but it's 1000 times better than do a race or an event with no warm up or simply running to warm up.
This video is from 2010. It's an oldie that's still a goodie. I wrote it for a blog post I created for some clients back then to help them peak for an upcoming race. If you have a spring or summer race coming up, the post, 3 Tips for Peaking On Race Day, will be a great reference to build your training around as it covers warm up, tapering and nutrition.
Go ahead, watch the warm up video, screen shot and/or write down warm up list below and give it a try. If you're training for and planning to train for a race, review and incorporate the the 3 Tips for Peaking On Race Day plan. Your body will be grateful and it may reward you with increased performance and possibly a personal record (PR).
Ace up your sleeve,
Coach Mike
p.s. Emily P asked if people would share what races their doing this spring and summer so I could share and maybe help people find training buddies and/or learn about fun races that are coming up. Would you reply if you've signed up for or are planning to sign up for a race with the Name, Location, Date and url link? I'll then compile a list and re-share it later.
p.p.s. if you want a Customized Warm Up and Cardio Plan, Saturday I'll be hosting Private Measurements and Movement Screens. You can sign up here, or reply if you want to talk about it first. |
