Warm Up To Prevent Injuries And Maximize Performance

If you are a lifelong runner, you may remember the days when you were young and nimble, and warming up wasn’t necessary. However, as we get older, warming up becomes vitally important for preventing injuries and maximizing performance.

These are your goals when warming up:  

#1. Warm up the entire body. Growing up you learned jumping jacks in school. That’s one example of a low-impact, full body movement to warm up the body.
#2. Activate running muscles and soft tissues by simulating running movements. We’ll talk about that in detail.
#3. Load joints to redistribute synovial fluid to them for lubrication and shock absorption.

When you warm the body, activate muscles, and load the joints, you are putting the “use it or lose it” theory to work. The more you do this, the better your body works. 

Ultimately, you are working up to some version of a squat. Why? Well, it is often said that running is a series of single-legged squats. For this reason, your routine should include single leg movements, but at a minimum, everyone’s routine should include one universal exercise, the ATG squat. 

With practice, just “sitting” in the squat position with your butt on the floor can be both restful and restorative. 

I like to do these squats several times daily and for several minutes at a time. Frequency keeps the fluids activated, doing their job to minimize stiffness and inflammation.

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Enjoy your next run!

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Video example of full depth squats and reverse table stretch/bridge  See video side notes for additional details.