As someone who runs occasionally or regularly, you have probably heard that stretching or performing warm-up exercises is imperative for the success of your running workout. Failure to do so, your performance will be mediocre, and you risk injuries such as muscle tears, among other things. This article explains why warm-ups are essential before running, several great stretching exercises, and some additional information.
Benefits of Warming Up and Stretching Before Running
After resting for a prolonged period, our muscles contract to suit our position. However, the opposite happens when we are running. Therefore, if you switch the state of your muscles too quickly, it will not yield any good. Here are some benefits of pre-run warm-up exercises:
Increases Body Temperature
As the name suggests, warm-up exercises raise your muscle and body temperature. For perspective, assume your muscles are like a rubber band. When you stretch a warmed-up rubber band, it tends to stretch well and easily. However, if you freeze the same rubber band and try to stretch it, you will need more effort because it will be less pliable.
Additionally, a raised body temperature increases your metabolism and energy levels which helps you lose weight if that is your goal.
Mental Preparation
A proper warm-up will mentally prepare you for the upcoming exercise. This way, you will prepare your body to fulfil the demands of running, which will, in turn, improve your performance.
Also, you will find it easier to coordinate and fully engage the muscles required for the task, which ensures you reap the maximum benefits of running.
Reduce the Risk of Injury
According to a recent study, warming up before any taxing exercise reduces the risk of injury significantly, especially if the exercise requires random explosive muscular contractions such as sprinting. By warming up, your muscles will be less rigid and hence can react quicker, preventing injuries such as sprains.
Increases Cardio Performance
Warming up will increase your cardio output and increase your respiratory minute volume. This way, the oxygen and nutrient delivery to the muscles increases, giving you more energy to tackle the task at hand and remove any waste product that may hinder your muscular health.
Better Range of Motion
Considering proper warm-up exercises will loosen up plenty of muscles in the body, you will have a wider range of motion in your subsequent run. In layperson’s terms, no part of your body will be stiff, which can be a disadvantage.
Better Joint Load Distribution
Most pre-run warm-up exercises require stretching both sides of your body, i.e. the right and left leg. Therefore, when you start running, you won’t put too much weight on one side more than the other, as that can be disastrous to your goals.
Faster Recovery
According to a recent study, people who warm up before running tend to have an easier muscle recovery days after. Otherwise, you will find your muscles sore for days on end, preventing you from further exercise.
Best Pre-Run Exercises
Contrary to popular belief, not every warm-up exercise will benefit you. Therefore, you should tailor your warm-up routine to the activity you are about to engage in to maximize the benefits.
Below are some great warm-up exercises for a running workout (Please note that there are many more warm-ups exercises available, and you should try and find what works for your routine):
- High knees: This one is great if you run on an uneven surface, as it helps with coordination and agility.
- Lateral side lunges: Perfect warm-up for the glutes and quadriceps if you are trying to protect your knees and ankles as you run.
- Straight leg kicks: This one is quite popular as it adequately helps stretch your hamstrings and hip flexors.
- Arm swings: Since a lot of arm movement is necessary when running, performing the arm swing stretch exercises will help prevent stiff arms, which ultimately slow you down.
- Piriformis walks: This warm-up exercise targets the glutes and piriformis muscles.
Tips for an Efficient Warm-Up/Stretch Routine
To reap the maximum benefit of warming up before your run, consider incorporating the tips below:
Tailor Your Routine
Your warm-up routine should reflect your goals and fitness level. For example, your routine when working on endurance should not be the same as that of someone working on flexibility.
Target the Right Muscles
Conduct enough research to determine which muscles you should target when warming up. For perspective, the muscles you focus on when warming up for a marathon are not the same as the ones you focus on when going for a 2 km run.
Gradually Increase Intensity
Considering your muscles are bound to have contracted before your workout, gradually ease into the warm-up and increase intensity as you go. Failure to which you won’t reap the benefits of a warm-up as you will have plunged your muscles into an intense routine too quickly.
Utilize Foam Rollers and Massage Balls
If you feel like your muscles are very tense, especially in the wintertime, use foam rollers and massage balls on your joints before warming up to help alleviate the muscle tension.
Time Your Warm-Up Appropriately
Always ensure you schedule enough time for the warm-up, so you don’t end up rushing through the process. Also, start your actual run as soon as you can after warming up. If you take a 30-minute-plus rest in between, the effects of the warm-up will have wielded negating the whole purpose of it.
Conclusion
Warming up before a run is as beneficial as the run itself. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to draft up a routine that is both comfortable and beneficial for you. Hopefully, the above article gives you some mindful insight.
FAQs
Is it important to stretch after a run?
Yes, it is. Stretching after a run helps some body processes, e.g., it causes an increased heart rate to return to normal.
Is dynamic stretching better than static stretching before a run?
Yes, it is. While both forms of stretching are beneficial, dynamic stretching is tailored more to exercises such as running that involve repetitive use of the same muscles.
