Warm ups and cool downs

If you’re at an organised session, there’s a small chance that you’ll be encouraged to do a warm up. But if you’re running by yourself and trying to squeeze in that session in between work/school pick up/dinner/sleep there’s a good chance that you will skip the warm up because you want to go running.

 Here’s the low down on warming up, and its equally neglected partner cooling down. Build the habit into every run, and you’ll wonder why you never did it before.

 Warm up

 Why is it important to warm up before a run? 

A warm up helps you get the most out of your running session. It is designed to get your body and mind ready for exercise. It’s also a great way to fit in some technical drills to help improve your running form and leave you running more efficiently. Especially if you are doing an easy session, it’s an opportunity to think about technical aspects of running.

 What are the benefits of warming up before a run? 

The main benefit of a warm up is to reduce the risk of injury. You need to gently raise your heart rate and start moving your muscles so it's not too much of a shock to your system. Cold (non-moving) muscles are less elastic and joints are less mobile so a sudden demand for activity can lead to an increased chance of injury to those muscles. By focusing for a little time on a warm up, it will also help you to focus on your running and start to reduce stress/anxiety levels. By introducing some technical drills to your warm up, you will, over time, start to improve your running form - practicing these little and often will give you greater benefit than bingeing on them for a longer period of time.

 How long should I spend warming up? 

For most people a 5 - 10 minute warm up should suffice. If you are tackling a harder/faster session you may want to extend this to 20 mins. Choosing your warm up will help you to get the best out of your session and a longer time spent warming up for a short, fast session is well worth the investment.

 Is dynamic or static stretching better?

Dynamic stretching is advised for a warm up. Dynamic stretching helps to warm up muscles and tendons and encourages a full range of motion. As it involves movement, it will also help develop coordination skills – another bonus from your warm up. When doing your stretches, make sure that you’re not bouncing at the end of your full range of motion. For dynamic stretching, stretch your muscles so that you can feel a slight pull and then relax back to your starting position before you go again.

 Top five warm up exercises

My top five warms ups for running are:

Marching on the spot: make sure you use your arms and lift your knees up. You should start to feel a little out of breath

Leg swings: Keeping your leg straight swing it forward and backwards 5 - 10 times and then swing it sideways across your body 5 - 10 times. Use a wall or the back of a chair to balance if needed. 

Heel raises: Slowly raise up onto your toes, keeping your legs straight but with a soft knee. Repeat 10 times. Use a wall/back of a chair for balance if needed

Rotations: Plant your feet about hip width apart, swing your arms round your body so that you rotate round to face towards yoru back. Start with small rotations and increase over 10 repetitions.

Shoulder rolls: Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and keep moving them backwards to come full circle back to the starting position. Complete 10 shoulder rolls.

 For more ideas, there are some suggestions here

 Cool down

 Why is it important to do a cool down after a run? 

A cool down helps to gradually bring your heart rate down and prepares your body for recovery. This is where your body gains the benefits of exercise and makes sure you will be ready for your next session.

 What are the benefits of cooling down after a run? 

Cooling down helps your body to start its recovery process, so you are better prepared for your next running session. During exercise your heart will have been pumping blood hard around your body and a gradual return to normal activity levels is required to avoid drops in blood pressure and a feeling of dizziness or even fainting.

A good cool down routine can help prevent feelings of stiffness that you may feel after running.

Unfortunately, there's little evidence that a cool down will prevent DOMS, but it may help to reduce that heavy-legged feeling. (To prevent DOMS, avoid overloading your training session, and build up your distances slowly when you're running.)

 How long should I spend cooling down? 

Similar to a warm up, spend 5 - 10mins cooling down.

 Is dynamic or static stretching better with a cool down?

I offer static stretching for a cool down. It helps to maintain a range of movement in joints and also is gentler and less active so helps the body regulate heart rate, blood flow and temperature back to pre-exercise levels. It’s also a good way to reflect on your training session – give yourself a pat on the back for getting up and moving.

 Top five cool down exercises

Walking: Decelerate into a walk for a couple of minutes at the end of your run, or when you've finished your session.

Calf stretch: Lean forwards onto a wall/back of a chair and take a step backwards. Push your back heel into the ground and push your hips forward to feel more of a stretch. Hold for 20 seconds on each leg.

Hamstring stretch: Take step forward with one leg and keep it relatively straight. Bend your back knee forwards and "sit" backwards. You should feel a stretch at the back of your thigh of your front leg. Hold for 20 secs on each leg

Gluteal stretch: Sitting on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, bend one ankle across the knee of the other leg and lean forwards. You should feel a stretch around the back of your hips. Hold for 20 seconds on each leg

Side bends: Reach your hands above your head and bend sideways. Hold for 20 seconds on both sides. Don't forget to keep breathing as you do this.

As always, get in touch if you have any questions or want more advice on warming up/cooling down before you run.