5 Ridiculously Easy Pre-Run Stretches To Add To Your Workout Routine
One of the easiest ways to avoid a running injury is a proper warm up, and especially pre-run stretches. Not convinced? I tell my my athletes to think of their bodies like an oven. If you bake cookies without preheating the oven, they'll come out burnt, unevenly cooked, or a complete disaster. Your body is the same way — if you start a run without properly warming up, you may pull a muscle, develop aches and pains, or hurt yourself.
One of the most important things to remember is that you never want to do static stretching, AKA stretches where you hold a stretch for a prolonged period of time, before a run. Those are best saved for after. Instead, you want to do dynamic stretches that involve movement — these are best for increased blood flow and mobility pre-run.
I never leave myself enough time for a long warm up, so here are a few exercises you can do in less than 5 minutes to make your run feel better!
Photo by MART PRODUCTION
1. Fluid Squats
First, I like to start with 10-15 air body weight squats. These help activate my quads, glutes, and hamstrings. You don’t even have to go too low or hold them too long! Fluid movement is perfect here.
Photo by Los Muertos Crew
2. Neck Rolls
Next, I always roll my neck from side to side for 30 seconds. I hold a lot of tension in my neck when I work and run and have found that loosening up a bit helps a ton.
Photo by Ron Lach
3. Hamstring Scoops
A new dynamic stretch I have been adding to my routine is hamstring scoops. This is where you put one leg out in front of you with your toe pointed to the sky. Lean forward and “scoop” your hands from the ground up, like you are scooping water from a pool. This warms up your hamstrings really well. I do these for 8-10 repetitions on each side. Make sure not to push past pain and strain your hamstrings!
Photo by Mister Mister
4. Bunny Hops
Next, I always do bunny hops. Keeping both feet together, I hop quickly for 20 reps and then rest. Following that set, I hop on both feet from side to side for 20 reps. This helps warm up your lower legs and ankles.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
5. Knee-High-Butt-Kick Combo
Finally, I like to do a round of high knees and butt kicks. You can do these in place for 20 seconds each, or by propelling yourself forward for about 20 meters! I always do these last because they make me feel fast and ready to go.
If it's already warm outside, you may be able to skip some of these. However, if it's early in the morning or there's a chill in the air, take some extra time to do a few more repetitions of the listed exercises — you'll never regret warming up more!
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Header image via Pavel Danilyuk