How to Warm Up Before a Run in Five Minutes

A warm-up raises your heart rate gradually and loosens the joints you are about to use. Five minutes is enough for most easy runs.

Why warm up

• It increases blood flow to the working muscles.
• It makes the first few minutes of a run feel smoother.
• It lets you notice any stiffness or niggles before you commit to the full distance.

A five-minute routine

1. Brisk walk, 2 minutes. Start gently and build up speed.
2. Leg swings, 10 each leg. Hold onto a wall and swing one leg forward and back, then side to side.
3. Walking lunges, 6 to 8 steps. Keep your torso upright.
4. Ankle circles and calf raises. Ten of each wakes up the lower legs.
5. Easy jog, 1 minute. Run slower than your planned pace.

Dynamic, not static

Before running, favour moving exercises over holding long stretches. Long static stretches are better saved for after your run, when your muscles are warm.

Adjust for conditions

• Cold weather: warm up indoors if you can, and add a minute.
• Hard sessions: such as intervals, add a few short, faster strides at the end of your warm-up.
• Easy runs: your first slow kilometre can be the warm-up.

Start tracking at the right moment

If you track your run, you may prefer to start the tracker after your warm-up so that your recorded pace reflects the run itself. Or start it at the door and treat the first minutes as part of the activity. Either is fine, as long as you are consistent.

Tips

• Warm up the same way each time so it becomes automatic.
• Do not skip it on days when you are short on time. Shorten it instead.
• If something hurts during the warm-up, consider walking instead.

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