Why should I warm up before running?

By Debbie Canoa, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT

A good warm up before a run can be helpful in preventing a painful injury that would keep you from getting out and exercising.  Why not do a few extra movements to keep your body working efficiently, right?  What if I told that doing a short warm up before your run would reduce your risk of injury?   I’m sure you have heard this before. Maybe you’re not convinced because you do a slow jog as a warm up before your run.

There is a lot of discussion about how to get stronger, exercise better and prevent injuries in sports, especially running.  Common areas of injuries from running include the lower back, hip, hamstring, shin splints and the foot and ankle.  You can minimize your risk of a running injury by including a dynamic warm up that challenges your core stability, lower body flexibility and coordination.

What is dynamic warm up?  Dynamic warm up uses stretches with movement.  This way of warming up prepares your body for the specific movement and is ideal to do before you go out for your run.  The warm up easy because it follows the patterns of efficient running.  Spend a few minutes to train your body while stretching.  

It's never too late to start a good habit, and taking care of your body is a great reason.  Spend a few minutes to train your body and lower the risk of injury.  Try the dynamic warm up.  Take a look at the examples.  Do 10 of each one as part of your warm up before your next run.  

Don’t let your body work harder, let it work smarter.  Keep your body injury free!