Tips for your warm-up
Why warm up? A proper warm-up prepares your body for the effort ahead. Your muscles and tendons get activated, your heart rate gradually rises, and your blood circulation speeds up. This lowers the risk of injury and gives you an energetic start to your training.
What does a warm-up look like?
Depending on your level, this can range from a few minutes of brisk walking to easy jogging, combined with activating or dynamic drills. The aim? To wake up the muscle groups you’ll rely on while running: calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes.
Exercises by Muscle Group
- Calves: calf raises – both with straight legs and with a slight bend
- Quadriceps: lunges
- Hamstrings: hamstring sweeps
- Glutes: clamshells
Tip: skip static stretching (the classic “hold and stretch” approach) before running. It temporarily reduces explosiveness and neuromuscular activation.
Extra for experienced runners
Already have some miles in your legs? Add plyometric or jump drills to wake up your tendons and joints. You can also include running technique drills, such as high knees (skippings) or butt kicks. Just make sure to perform them correctly – ideally under the eye of a coach who can fine-tune your form.
Ready to go!
A solid warm-up makes all the difference – for beginners and seasoned runners alike. Not only does it help prevent injuries, it also gets you moving more smoothly and confidently from the very first step.
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