When it comes to warming up before jogging, there are two camps: those who completely avoid any warm-up exercises and routines and start running straight away, and those who don’t run without their 20-minute routine. But what both sides have in common is that they are extremes. The best solution for warming up before jogging lies somewhere in between, and that’s what I want to present to you in today’s article.
How important is warming up before jogging?
There are many people who claim that warming up before jogging is overrated. And in certain contexts I can understand and agree with these people. For example, if you are active all day and have a Zone 2 run If you have a long running schedule, you probably don’t need an extensive warm-up routine before jogging. In this case, a slow jog might even be enough of a warm-up.
But as soon as one variable changes, warming up becomes even more important.
For example, if you have just woken up and your body is not yet fully awake.
When you’ve been sitting all day and want to go for your after-work run.
Or if you have intensive interval training or a tempo run planned.
Reasons for warming up before jogging
In fact, there are several good reasons for warming up before jogging:
- Mental preparation for the run and getting into your routine
- Preparing your muscles for the following strain
- Reduction of the risk of injury – especially before intensive sessions
- Stimulate your metabolism and prepare your cardiovascular system for the run
Warming up before jogging – warm-up exercises and tips
The good news is: you don’t need an extensive warm-up routine before running that includes 27 exercises and takes 20 or even 30 minutes.
On the contrary: just 5-10 minutes of warming up before jogging can make a huge difference and create the “sweet spot” to properly prepare you for running training.
Personally, I start every single run with a short five-minute routine. For more intensive runs, I prepare for around ten minutes. And I’ve had consistently good experiences with this with my coachees and in my training plans.
What should your warm up include?
Your warm up should prepare you for the demands of your run.
This means that your warm-up can look a little different depending on whether you are doing a more intense or relaxed running workout.
I like to divide my warm up into 2-3 parts:
- Exercises for mobilization or “activation”
- Fast walking or slow running
- optional: faster running before more intensive units
Warm-up exercises before running
Before running, you can do some warm-up exercises to move your whole body and prepare yourself well for the subsequent exertion. You can choose these warm-up exercises individually and vary them depending on how you feel on the day.
Choose 2-5 exercises that you perform in quick succession. It is recommended that you use the warm-up exercises that you feel most loosen up your muscles and relieve any tension.
Some warm-up exercises before running can be:
- Circling the ankles
- Knee joint circles
- Standing hip external rotation
- Standing hip internal rotation
- Shoulder circles
- Thoracic rotation to the right and left
- Leg swings (forward-backward and diagonal)
- Knee to chest while walking
- Heeling while walking
- Skipping
- Acceleration runs (before intensive sessions, at the end of the warm-up)
I do not recommend static stretching before running.
The simplest warm up in the world – 5 minute warm up routine
If you’re new to warming up before jogging, this simple routine is a great place to start. I do this routine before every single run.
- Start with 2-5 mobilization exercises, e.g. circling your ankles, knees, hips and shoulders and raising your knees to your chest. Feel what you need in your body today. Where do you feel tension that you want to release? Which muscles do you want to “activate” before your run?
- Walk for 2-3 minutes to raise your heart rate to zone 2. Strictly speaking, “walking” means fast and very brisk walking.
- Start running slowly and stay in zone 2 for at least five minutes. In basic endurance training, the actual training session starts at this point.
Warm-up routine before interval or tempo training
If you have a more intense session coming up, you should prepare your body more intensively. The risk of injury is highest during such training sessions, which is why warming up before jogging is even more important.
The warm-up routine before hard sessions begins just like the simple routine above and is then supplemented further.
- Start with 2-5 mobilization exercises, e.g. circling your ankles, knees, hips and shoulders and raising your knees to your chest. Feel what you need in your body today. Where do you feel tension that you want to release? Which muscles do you want to “activate” before your run?
- Walk for 2-3 minutes to raise your heart rate to zone 2. Strictly speaking, “walking” means fast and very brisk walking.
- Start running slowly and stay in Zone 2 for at least five minutes.
- Now do a few 60m increments. Start slower at the beginning and increase the pace from increment to increment.
- Now you can start with your actual unit.
No Gos for your warm up before running
There are also some no-gos for the warm-up before running. These can be summed up briefly and succinctly:
- Don’t let the warm-up last too long. If your routine goes over 15 minutes, then your warm-up is too long!
- No static stretching before intense runs. Dynamic stretching is allowed.
- Never neglect warming up before sprints, interval training or tempo runs.
- A warm-up routine is no substitute for proper management of your running volume and injury rehabilitation.
Conclusion – Warming up before jogging
Warming up before jogging is still neglected by many people. However, it can help you to arrive mentally and physically at your run and prepare correctly for it. Warming up is less important before less intense sessions, but a proper warm-up routine is non-negotiable before tempo and interval training.
Both warm-up routines that are too long and too short can have a negative impact on your running training. The sweet spot for a warm-up routine is 5-15 minutes.