How To Warm Up Before Running?

Many individuals tend to neglect the importance of warming up before exercise, but it is a critical component of any workout routine. A proper warm-up can help prepare your body for more intense physical activity and minimize the risk of injury. Incorporating a few simple exercises, as outlined below, can effectively stretch and warm up your major muscle groups, ensuring a safer and effective workout.

Remember to brisk walk after the following warming up and before running.

Here are examples of warming up exercises for muscle groups of the upper & lower body advised before running (note that the following list can be extended, adapted and/or made harder):

Torso Swings

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and legs straight.
2. Bend your torso forward at a 90-degree angle while extending both arms out to the sides.
3. Make wide sweeping movements to the left then the right with your torso.
4. Focus your gaze on the hand that you are lifting during each swing.
5. Do 15 reps for each side.

Torso bends

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and legs straight.
2. When doing this exercise, make sure to keep your knees straight.
3. Bend to your left leg and try to touch your left feet with your fingers
4. From this bending position, twist your torso to try to touch your right leg
5. Straighten your body, join your legs together and try to touch your forehead to your knees by bending again your torso, hold this position for a few seconds.
6. Repeat these 3 moves above 5 times and another 5 times by bending first to the right then left.

Hips Rotation

1. Place your hands on your hips and ensure that your head is in a neutral position.
2. Rotate your hips in a wide circular motion.
3. Repeat this exercise 20 times in a clockwise direction and then 20 times in a counterclockwise direction.

Feet Rotation

Place your feet slightly apart, shifting your body weight on one foot, stand on the toes of your other leg.

Perform rotation of the raised foot clockwise and counter clockwise. Change the leg.

1. Begin by standing with your feet slightly apart and shifting your body weight onto one foot.
2. Raise the other foot off the ground and balance on the toes of that foot.
3. Rotate the raised foot in a circular motion clockwise and then counterclockwise.
4. Repeat these step 2 & 3 15 times for each foot.

Warm-up for the Achilles tendon and biceps femoris muscle

1. Take a step forward and bend the front leg at the knee while keeping the back leg straight and the foot aligned with the leg.
2. Keep your upper body upright and use your body weight to push the foot of your back leg into the ground.
3. Repeat this exercise for 15 seconds for each leg

Knees Rotation

1. Start by standing with your feet slightly apart and your hands on your hips.
2. Lift one leg with a bent knee off the ground.
3. Rotate the knee of this lifted leg to the right and then to the left before returning it to its original position.
4. Repeat these step 2 & 3 10 times for each leg