Quick & Easy Dynamic Warm-Up
Dynamic warm-ups are a great way to warm yourself up and prep your muscles to run before your easy days. In college my coach was adamant about making us do our dynamic warm-ups every day, but during the summers when it was up to me to do them I almost always “forgot”. The start of each new season was always rough because even though some of the warm-up exercises we did seemed funny they really worked some important muscles.
Since I’m back to early morning runs and since it’s been so chilly in Massachusetts I’ve finally gotten back into the habit of dynamic warm-ups for the first time since college. They really help my just-got-out-of-bed muscles wake up and get ready for the running they are about to do.
Some benefits of dynamic warm-ups include…
– Warms up the core temperature of your muscles which makes them more elastic and powerful.
– Prepares your muscles for the specific action of running, making them more efficient when you starting your run.
– Improves the range of motion in your joints which decreases your risk of injury.
Below is the warm-up routine that I have been following. It is six simple moves (sun stretch, forward lunge with reach, squat stretch, backward lunge with twist, lateral lunge and one-legged squats) repeated 10-20 times through each. I promise taking the little time it takes to do these exercises is worth it. It doesn’t take long at all and it really the time while your Garmin attempts to locate your position go by a lot faster. 😉 Feel free to start with fewer than 10/20 of each exercise and slowly build your way up.
Sun Stretch
How: Bend over and touch your toes, keeping your legs straight. Stand up with your arms in a “field goal” position and stretch your back. Repeat 10-20 times.
Muscles it warms up: Hamstrings, calves, arms and back
Forward Lunge with Reach
How: Stand with legs shoulder width apart. Step forward with one foot into a lunge position, at the same time reach your arms forwards and towards the ground in front of you. Return to standing. Repeat 10 times per side.
Targeted Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, arms and core muscles
Squat Stretch
How: Stand with feet slightly further than should width apart. Squat down and reach for the floor with your hands. Stand up and reach your arms overhead. Repeat 10-20 times.
Targeted Muscles: Quads, glutes and arms.
Backward Lunge with Twist
How: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hands together in front of your chest. Step back with one foot into a deep lunge. Twist over your FRONT leg, crossing your elbow over your knee. Repeat 10 times per side.
Targeted Muscles: Quads, hamstrings and core muscles
Lateral Lunge
How: Stand with your feet should width apart. With your right leg step about 2 feet to the side into a lunge position. Hold for about 2 seconds and return to center. Repeat on the opposite side. 10 times per side.
Targeted Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes.
Single Leg Squat
How: Stand on one leg, squat down as low as comfortable touching the ground if you are able. Return to your starting position. Repeat 10-15 times per leg.
Targeted Muscles: Quads, glutes and core.
Do you do dynamic warm-ups?
How is the weather where you are? It has been really strange here the past week. Rain storm Friday/Saturday, 90’s on Monday and then 45ish on Tuesday. Oh New England how I love you!