Remember in middle school gym class when Mr. or Ms. whoever (in my case it was Mr. Wellington) got everyone in a circle and led you through some basic warm up stretches to “lower the chances of somebody cramping up?” Well, it turns out that what you learned in middle school might not be the perfect warm up according to science! Today we’re going to dive into that science and show you what a perfect pre run warm up actually looks like!
The science of the warm up
Researchers learned a lot about warming up in the few years since all of us were in gym class! First, they found that pre-run static stretching is probably not useful for performance gains and definitely useless when it comes to injury prevention (study).
In order to maximize performance in a hard run or workout, the British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends some light dynamic stretches and exercises that take the body through a full range of motion (review). No one series of movements has been proven most effective for middle or long distance runners, so we brought in two of the leading minds in running health to design a routine that aligns with the science…
How to do the warm up
We were fortunate enough to work with Kate and Adam Tenforde on the routine that follows. Kate O’Neill Tenforde represented the United States at the 2004 summer Olympics in the 10,000m, and Dr. Adam Tenforde is a former professional runner who currently directs the National Running Center at Spaulding Rehab in Boston.
The “why” behind the routine: most of us runners are Type-A folks who sit at our computers all day. When we get the opportunity to go for a run, we want to be sure our bodies are awake and ready. This routine helps any runner activate his or her glute muscles, develop some body awareness, and encourage good posture, so he or she can start a run feeling good and keep that feeling going.
Exercise 1. Marching Bridges with Hold
Exercise 2. Side Leg Raises
Exercise 3. Wall Lean
Exercise 4. Walking Calf Raises with Hands Extended
Exercise 5. Quick Single Leg Squats
Want to perfect this routine with audio coaching and exact sets and reps? Try the Recover Athletics app for free!
To be totally honest with you, we want to start a revolution. A revolution against the old attitude that “injuries are a part of the sport.” Millions of runners have to miss training days due to injury ever year. It simply doesn’t have to be that way, and we’re going to change it. Get to know our team here.