Running can seem like an easy activity to jump right into. Just tie up your laces and hit the streets, right? In an ideal world it would be that easy but in reality running can put a lot of stress on the joints and ligaments of your legs, possibly resulting in sprains and arthritis. But with proper form much of this stress can be absorbed by your muscles and tendons, structures designed to absorb and transmit forces. Not only will this minimize your risk of injury, but maximize your energy conservation and efficiency, leading to faster, less winded miles. Try out these five one-minute warm ups prior to your next run!
Single Leg Stands
When done with proper form, running becomes a balancing act as we control our momentum at high speeds. Therefore, warming up your balance, especially on one leg, is essential to ensure correct technique. Find someplace you have quick access to arm support if needed, then lift one leg off the ground and hold for 30 seconds on each side. Stay as tall as you can, feeling gravity work on your bodyweight, and stack your body blocks to align with its pull, grounding your tailbone and floating your head. Pay attention to your breath. Don’t hesitate to use the arm support if needed and if it’s too easy, add a little arm or lifted leg movement until you find an appropriate challenge.
Heel Pops
Utilizing our calves properly on the push-off phase of our stride can give us a huge mechanical advantage on our runs. Sadly, our calves are one of the most under-utlized muscle groups in the body, along with the hamstrings (more on that below). To make sure we’re using them for that extra burst when we push away from the ground, we need to know what they feel like when activated. Start out by bouncing on the balls of your feet, finding a steady, easy rhythm. Keeping focus on the balls of your feet, increase the force you send through your calves until you pop off the ground. Continue at a pace that feels right for you for about a minute, feeling those calves burn! If this is easy, try popping on one leg at a time.
Lunge Twist Against a Wall
When we run and become airborne, our stance becomes longer than usual for a split second. If this motion is tight for us, we work harder than we need to with every stride. So, find a solid wall and take a lunge towards, pressing your hands against it to feel a stretch through your entire back leg. Hold for a bit at first, but once you start to loosen up feel free to add a trunk twist towards the forward leg. When you’re ready, alternate from one leg to the other only as quickly as you can keep your entire spine as still as possible. Not only will this warm up stretch out your calves and hip flexors but it’ll also give you a chance to effort through your entire body, activating key muscle groups you’ll need on your run.
Standing Bicycles with Heavy Tail
Using our core and hip muscles synchronously during all phases of our running stride is key to providing our legs with a steady platform to work from. This warm up challenges our ability to maintain a level pelvis with lower extremity movement. First, slide your sacrum down towards your heels while you lift your pubic bone towards your belly button (should feel like work in the front and back). Use only as much effort as is sustainable and comfortable. Maintain this heavy tail and lengthened spine while you lift one leg up and circle the foot, as if riding a bike. Complete one side then the other, using arm support if needed, paying attention to the position of your pelvis. It should feel like your iliac crest (that bony shelf on the outside of our waists) stays relatively still.
Leg Drags
As mentioned earlier, along with the calves, the hamstrings are another under-utilized running muscle group, even with runners! We need strong hamstrings to cooperate with our quads to provide balance around the hip and knee joints for smooth, graceful strides. This warm up is one of my favorites for targeting them. First, find a loose surface such as grass, gravel, or dirt (or try it in your socks on a hardwood floor). Then, either with or without arm support and keeping your weight on one leg, place the other foot a short distance in front of you before dragging it behind you. Repeat with a good amount of force that tires you out in under 30 seconds per side. If you have access to a treadmill then you’re in luck! You can try using the drag to move the belt on it without turning it on for a great posterior LE chain workout.
There you have it! 5 warm ups to do in 5 minutes before your next run. Remember, the key to performing all of them well is to feel into your body, mind your breath, and make each movement feel right for you. Have fun and train well!
BONUS FOR RUNNERS! We’re offering a custom class for runners called Strengthen Your Stride. This class uses a mixture of yoga principles and physical therapy modalities to help you improve your strength, flexibility and run faster. Click here to sign up for our next Strengthen Your Stride class.