Hey folks! I’ve decided to turn a few of my old how-to blog posts into vlogs. I find that a lot of people these days are very visual and learn faster when shown things.
The first one I’m doing is How to Warm Up for Running. I think it’s so awesome that all the running groups in the metro have their own version of a warm-up routine, and I’m glad that we’ve moved past the concept of “stretching” to warm up. Instead, we’re now using dynamic warm-ups and I’m hoping that being fully warmed up before doing long or hard efforts will enable us runners to put our best work into the run and also recover better after.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t really have to stretch before you run, but it’s important that you get the blood to your muscles flowing and gently increase your range of motion. I have the “Seven Dwarves” problem: I can barely remember six items to do, let alone seven. So here are the six warm-up moves I remember to do to get ready for my runs.
If you’re interested in seeing the old blog post this vlog is based on, check it out here — Going Hot: Warm-Up Moves for Running.
I will usually do one to two minutes of each move after an easy jog of a few hundred meters, depending on how “cold” I feel. For instance, in summer I might go straight to these moves and then do my run after them (because it’s darn hot, that’s why!). In the cold dry season or if it’s cloudy or rainy I might jog first. The main thing is that the warm-up shouldn’t feel difficult because you’re just preparing your body for the exertion ahead.
(This warm-up is also a good time to assess whether you should continue with a hard session, if you’re feeling out of sorts.)
Hopefully you find this video useful to help you remember some essential warm-up moves before your next run!
