Warming up before your run...

ylor89

So I admit I hate warming up before my runs. I stretch for about 10 minutes, and I don't know why but I just dread it.

Then I read somewhere that you can walk and then jog lightly as a warm up.... And then I got to thinking, well, I'm a slow runner to begin with! I average 12 minutes per mile... So could I skip the warm up altogether and just run? Because I'm basically jogging lightly the entire time...

I know, I know... I'm finding excuses to skip my 10 minute warm up...which I'll probably still do. I'm just wondering...if I wake up one morning and I'm feeling super lazy, can I skip my warm up because according to this article I read, I'm basically "warming up" the entire time that I'm running very slow??

kmp327

I'm no expert on this, but I'm a super slow runner. I always walk for five minutes before I start to run. Actually, I lift weights for 15 minutes and then I walk for 5 before running. But I don't see why you can't just walk a few minutes and that be your warm up. I think if you FEEL okay doing that and don't notice any injuries or pain after a week or so, then you have your answer. If you start noticing discomfort, I would go back to how you were doing it before!

aarar

I don't actually stretch before running but I always do after (as well as a cool down walk if I'm coming off a long run). I don't actually do a real warm up either, I just start slow and go from there.

rybo

I just start out joggin very easily & dont warm up.

Val_from_OH

If you normally stretch for 10 full minutes before you run and you give that up, I think you are going to feel a big difference when you run. You could probably substitute a 10 minute walk, but you will have to see if you feel limber enough afterward.

castelluzzo99

I'm not a runner. I hate running. The most I have ever done (and at this point, ever plan on doing) is a 5K.

That said, I usually warm up by walking for a few minutes and then just ease into the run. I'm a slow runner too. My fastest is just over 6 mph (maybe 6.1 or 6.2?), but I can't maintain more than 6 mph for more than maybe a quarter mile. After a mile, I'm down to just under 6 mph.

And now I can't run because I pinched my sciatic nerve.

But I heard somewhere that it's a bad idea to stretch cold muscles. It makes sense; warm muscles would be more limber. So I walk fast to warm up (probably up to 4 mph by the time I start jogging) and then stretch AFTER the run once I've gotten out of the cardio zone. I don't see any reason why you should need to spend 10 minutes stretching and warming just for a jog (which is what a 12-minute mile is). You'll be nice and tired at the end of the run and the stretching will feel like bliss then!

cwolfman13

You should do some kind of warm up, even if it's just walking to loosen things up. You'll also not be lightly jogging forever...you will naturally increase speed and distance so it is important to have a good warm up.

As far as stretching goes, the after stretch is far more important. You actually don't get much benefit from stretching cold muscles and you could actually make yourself more prone to injury. I actually do a round of tabata as a warm-up and then stretch for about 5 minutes once those muscles are warmed up a bit...wouldn't stretch cold. Then I stretch for 5-10 after my run.

allisonlane61

I do an active warmup: front to rear leg swings, 20 each leg, then side to side leg swings (for the IT band), 20 each leg, then pull my knees into much chest, should be 20 each leg but usually get as far as 10 each leg (all three stretches done standing)...doesn't take quite 10 minutes, then I start out running very slowly. It's way more important to me to get in a lengthy, good stretching session after the run--especially at my age of 51 when I notice I stiffen up very quickly.

csuhar

"Warming up" is entirely relative.

Just because you run at what they consider their "warm up" pace doesn't mean you shouldn't do your own warm up at your own, reduced, speed. Especially when it comes to running, it seems most articles are focused on an audience of experienced runners who already run at a good clip.

Try doing something that bridges between your "standing still" and "workout" intensities to help get your body ready for exercise. I tend to stretch and then walk about 100 meters out and back between my start point and the nearest water fountain to get a drink before I start running. Personally, it seems that warming up like that makes the workout seem less strenuous.

amyx593

I run at about 11.5min/mi and I just walk for 5 minutes prior to jogging. Sometimes I'll stop after 10-15min and do a couple of stretches, then keep going, but usually don't.

alpine1994

You shouldn't really do much stretching before a run, but always stretch after. When doing a warm up, you want to do just that - warm up your body. Find a way to bring your heart rate up a little, so in your case walking for a few minutes (no need for 10 min) should do the trick. I walk for 3-5 minutes if I'm on the treadmill. If I'm running outside, I prefer to do jumping jacks or jump around and wiggle my hips (remember that youtube of the girl running in the Olympics? Like that!) to get warmed up...but I do this IN my house and not outside in front of my neighbors.

tjsoccermom

I start out my walking for a few minutes, then jogging for a total of 10 minutes or so. Then I stretch and go into running. Don't stretch cold muscles, it's not good. I also stretch afterwards. I don't run very fast either but it's still important to stretch.

Legs_McGee

I don't warm up. My first mile is usually a little slower pace but other than that, I don't stretch until afterwards, if at all.

txbandman

You shouldn't really do much stretching before a run, but always stretch after.

I realize that this thread was about warming up, not stretching, but I have to ask about this - I must be doing this all backwards. I always stretch before I run, and almost never after a run. I do "cool down" after a run, most of the time with a walk, sometimes with a slow jog, but I hardly ever stretch afterward. I'm in my 8th year of coming back to running, and I have had a couple of minor injuries (a sore achilles once, and pain across the top of my foot that sidelined me for about 3 weeks), but by and large I have been healthy. Have I just been lucky? Thoughts?

scottb81

Slow is relative. What you want to do is walk for a few minutes and then start running and slowly raise the heartrate into the working zone. It usually takes me 5 to 10 minutes to get it up to around 75% max.

When you start to run your body has to change several internal processes. Allowing it to do this gradually is much less stressful than shocking it by starting off too hard.

Stretching before running is optional. If you feel the need then walk for a few minutes and then run slowly for about 5 minutes first. This warms up the muscles and makes them more elastic.

aswearingen22

You shouldn't stretch before a run because you shouldn't try to stretch cold muscles. Instead you should do a warm-up, and a warm-up should be less in intensity than the workout itself (so if your pace is 11:30, you should be warming up slower than 11:30). What I do is walk a few mins first, then I take my first mile at a pace about 15-30 seconds slower or so than the rest of my run to warm-up. Then at the end of my run I usually walk 5-10 mins to cool down. If anything is bugging me, I'll stretch it out (calves, hamstrings, etc), but that's it. Google dynamic stretching, it's what is recommended over static stretching. Then before bed at night 2-3x's a week (if I'm being good), I use my foam roller and "the stick" to roll out any areas that are tight (mainly calves, hamstrings, IT band, glutes).

seif0068

I don't usually warm up if I am running outside - I just jog slowly to begin. On the treadmill, I walk for 5 minutes first. I never stretch before a run - but stretch well after.

Experience - a few 5k's, a 10k, and my first half marathon this past weekend!

55in13

I just start out joggin very easily & dont warm up.

Me also. They have done lots of studies that show that stretching and warming up does no good and can actually be counter productive. I have a hard time believing the latter part; I think it was because those that stretch are more likely to run hard and therefore more likely to become injured, not that stretching caused it. Anyway, I usually run my first mile at about a 10:30 pace.

alpine1994

You shouldn't really do much stretching before a run, but always stretch after.

I realize that this thread was about warming up, not stretching, but I have to ask about this - I must be doing this all backwards. I always stretch before I run, and almost never after a run. I do "cool down" after a run, most of the time with a walk, sometimes with a slow jog, but I hardly ever stretch afterward. I'm in my 8th year of coming back to running, and I have had a couple of minor injuries (a sore achilles once, and pain across the top of my foot that sidelined me for about 3 weeks), but by and large I have been healthy. Have I just been lucky? Thoughts?

Honestly if you've been doing this for 8 years without a major issue, don't fix what's not broken! This comment comes from my ballet classes. I remember my first day of class, I was of course the first one to show up, so I figured I would start stretching at the barre. The ballet teacher came in and UNLEASHED. She said there's a much higher chance of injury when you're stretching with cold muscles, which is why we do a long warm-up sequence at the barre, then do our deep stretches after. I asked her if this relates to other forms of exercise such as running, and she said yes. This is one person's opinion. A lot of research has been done on this topic and most of them conclude that there's a higher chance of injury to stretch first, but it's generally not a huge deal.

6spdeg

I just start out joggin very easily & dont warm up.

Me also. They have done lots of studies that show that stretching and warming up does no good and can actually be counter productive. I have a hard time believing the latter part; I think it was because those that stretch are more likely to run hard and therefore more likely to become injured, not that stretching caused it. Anyway, I usually run my first mile at about a 10:30 pace.

i never warm up.. just run never had one problem!... what he said^^^

MinnieInMaine

There is more chance of injury static stretching cold than static stretching warmed up (to address the question above, it doesn't necessarily mean you WILL get injured, there's just a better chance). Certain stretches may actually tense up the muscles or you may overstetch, both undermining your form, speed and ROM. Better to warm up for a few minutes and/or do dynamic stretching like walking lunges, frankenstein kicks, leg swings (front to back, side to side), etc before you go for your run. There's not really any need to do a full 10 minutes. Instead take the time at the end of your run to get some good static stretching in.

drojen

I always walk 5 minutes before starting to run (another slow runner here), and I make sure to always do 15 minutes of yoga stretches after my run. This has helped keep my nagging piriformis (sp) injury from recurring (so far).

LorinaLynn

I don't stretch before a run, but I do walk briskly about 5-10 minutes before and after, and that works for me.

bert16

I don't warm up. My first mile is usually a little slower pace but other than that, I don't stretch until afterwards, if at all.

^^^ this

TheBeerRunner

I always do a 5 minute warm-up walk followed by a 5 minute cool-down walk after running... I think as I've increased distance and speed it's not enough. I've been very tense and sore after runs lately. Adding in stretching before running has helped some. I'm sure my body needs some downtime to rest, but I'm trying to run 100 miles for the month of June and only have 4 miles to go to reach that goal. Once that happens I'll be incorporating some more stretching / yoga into my routine and will only be running 3-4 days a week instead of 5-6.

stealthSLOTH

Dynamic stretches before, static stretches afterward.
http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/dynamic-routine

That said, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'...

I did what some others mentioned here (walk, then run; or walk, then jog slowly, then run) as well and it worked out fine for me, but
as a novice, my body would freak out after longer runs when training for a 1/2M. For 10+ mile runs, it made a big difference for me to do the dynamic stretches before and the static ones after. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

- - -

ETA: Addressing the OP's comment about speed - I run very slowly and I find the dynamic stretches beforehand and the static stretches afterward helpful. I suspect it might be an issue of fitness and/or length of run and not a speed issue, per se.

TedStout

Before I run for time (5K, etc), I warm up A LOT. I probably job a mile intermittantly prior to...gets the heart rate up and muscles loose. If I am just running for exercise, I don't stretch at all, just run at a comfortable pace until I start to sweat and loosen up. On a longer run, my first mile is usually much slower. Works for me, but you have to find what works for you. Stretch AFTER running, definitely!

MinMin97

Maybe pick a different "warm-up" routine. Like, do some light weight-training---use light weights, do full, slow range-of-motion.

UpEarly

Recent research has shown that stretching before a workout might be detrimental for both speed and strength: http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/08/why-stretching-may-not-help-before-exercise/

Personally, I warm up by doing 5 minutes at a slower pace and save all my stretching for post-workout. :-)

kcrowers

i usually walk around half mile first i have unnaturally tight muscles so it takes a bit to get me going..i never stretch before hand though..after i usually walk slow and then do another 1/4 to half mile backwards, it looks funny but it deffinatly helps stretch out my shins and i get less shin splints, i also feel that it helps me with building muscles buy doing i've been able to consitantly get faster every week. i always do a 20 minute strectch after, i'm a slow runner too, i usuallyalternate between power walking at 4 mph and jogging at somewhere between 5-6..i can only last a around a half mile to so i know what its like

miracole

I'm probably not the best example as by the time I drag my butt out the door I am the person who wants to run straight out the gate, though I have read multiple times that static stretching pre-run can lead to muscle tears. If you're going to warm up at all do an active warmup (jumping jacks, high knees, etc) to get your blood pumping.

I tend to just count my first 2-3km as a warmup and really settle into my pace after that. I try to remember to stretch afterward but sometimes that doesn't happen either. So far no major injuries *knocks on wood* though my bi-monthly trips to my physio as a precaution may account for that!