Why warm up?

Starting a run without a warm-up is like getting in your car and driving off in 4th gear - clunky and inefficient. Numerous studies have shown that warming up a) improves performance and b) reduces the risk of injury - the dual aims of most athletes, be they of the elite or weekend warrior variety. It also helps minimise the ‘toxic ten minutes’ (a phrase I borrowed from one of my coaching clients) that make the start of every run feel so uncomfortable. So what constitutes a warm-up? At the bare minimum, it means setting off at a very slow, easy pace and gradually working up to your desired speed. But a warm-up in which you mobilise the joints you’ll be working through and raise the temperature of the muscles you’ll be using is more beneficial. You could start off walking, raising your knees up to your chest and then taking your heels up to your bottom. Walk on your toes and then on your heels. Gently rotate the torso from side to side, shrug the shoulders and circle the arms backwards. At a slow jog, repeat the knees to chest and heels to bottom moves and then break into an easy skip, using the arms to propel you forwards. You could add some lateral movement by galloping or crossing one leg in front of and then behind the other. Return to jogging and when you feel ready, gradually increase your pace. What about stretching? Current research is pretty conclusive regarding pre-exercise static stretching - it isn’t advised. The moves outlined above are sometimes called ‘dynamic stretching’ because you’re lengthening the muscles and loosening the joints without holding a fixed position - far more relevant to the activity you’re about to perform.