The first in a new series sees RLC focus on a different aspect of training - this week: the warmup

For many of us, planning and performing the perfect warm-up is challenging. Many runners I work with claim they do not warm-up at all. This is usually due to a combination of two factors: time and uncertainty.

As we try and juggle our busy lifestyles alongside our training, it can be tempting to hit the snooze button when it comes to warming up. I’m often asked, “can I not just run for 5 minutes longer rather than warming up?”.

This would like a reasonable suggestion were it not for the fact that the warm-up is as important as the run itself when it comes to avoiding injury and boosting performance.

Common misconceptions

In order to help you understand the benefits of a warm-up, let us first take a look at some of the common misconceptions that in my experience are typically used to fuel our inherent desire to just get running as soon as we step outside the front door.

I’ve heard stretching before a run is a great way to prepare your body for a run

This is a big area for debate which has stemmed from a long standing trend that promotes us to compete static stretches before we run. We all have leant against a wall or suitable ledge in anticipation of our run. However, research has shown that this method of stretching can potentially inhibit performance. Studies conducted in the United States documented that their middle distance subjects lost approximately 5% of their efficiency whilst covering on average 3% less distance.

A light jog before my main run is a sufficient warm-up

A lot of runners I speak to follow a ‘slower first mile’ strategy to combat not completing a full warm-up. Again this may be practical at the time and may work for some runners. But it has been shown that between 45-65% (depending on the source) runners have a least one minor injury per year, injuries that could have been prevented with 5-10 minutes of coaching your body suitably at the start of your run.

How to best prepare for a run

Naturally, before heading hitting the roads or the treadmill, your heart rate will need to be steadily increased. This is where dynamic stretching can be a useful tool to not only get your body moving to elevate your heart rate, but also using sports specific movements to mimic the stresses on the muscles and connective tissues that a run creates. Moreover, completing a dynamic warmup will you help to ‘switch on’ and ‘wake up’ the connections between your brain and muscles. This is particularly useful for the body to begin to recognise and regulate your form, stride length and frequency/economy.

Let’s look at a simple warm-up that you can incorporate into your pre-run:

Video: the warm-up

Benefits of a warm-up

Increasing blood flow will increase oxygen to the tissues
Facilitated oxygen utilisation by warmed muscles
An increase in pre-activity O2 consumption will decrease the reliance on anaerobic energy sources.
Increased muscle force capability due to the previous muscle activity
Increased speed of contraction and relaxation of warm muscles
Facilitated nerve transmission
Warm tissues are more elastic and for longer
Warm synovial fluid is less viscous
Increase in body temperature, core and muscle temperature may rise 1-3°C

Hopefully that will give you a little inspiration to help improve your warmups.

Next week, we’ll look at strength training.

Please note: if you are training with any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions that require specific stretches or routines, you may wish to speak to your GP or medical professional to determine their suitability.

Riverside Leisure Centre’s Run Club meets each week at 6.45pm. To find out more, please click here.