Warming Up for Running

Main Running Page

Prior to any rigorous activity it is important that the body is prepared properly. A thorough warm up reduces the risk of injury during the main running session and will improve performance. As with many areas of sport there are different approaches to sessions which can be adopted – here we’ll use probably the most conventional "menu" for a session, which involves doing some or all of the following in this order Warm up (Jog) Stretch * Perform drills Strength Work   (e.g. Plyometrics) Special speed work (if relevant e.g. block work or short sprints) Main running session Warm down * * There are various schools of thought about the stretching before and after sessions. At My Kit Bag we believe in the merits of dynamic stretches before training and static long-hold stretches afterwards. The length of the warm up jog will vary according to the athlete's competitive distance and their personal preference. It should be run at a speed where the athlete starts to feel warm and is sweating slightly. A normal distance for sprinters would be two to three laps whilst distance runners may opt for up to two miles. After jogging athletes should stretch. This is far more effective when an athlete has increased blood flow by warming up. The stretches done during warm up should cover the whole body, including a number of dynamic stretches , as these will acclimatise the muscles to the range of movement they are going to perform during training.