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Why warm-up?
A warm-up lets your body gradually adjust to the exercise, preparing you for the harder work to come and making
the subsequent session easier. Five to 10 minutes of easy running or walking before you start putting your body
through its paces will lessen the strain on your heart by promoting the work of your circulatory system in
pumping the blood carrying oxygen to your muscles. A decent warm-up can also help you to avoid injuries
and the aches and pains that come with exercise. NB: Don’t run with cold legs.
How to warm-up
Start all your training sessions with 5-1 0 minutes of easy running or walking depending upon your levels of
fitness. If you think of your running effort on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being no effort and 10 being
maximal effort you should aim to reach level 5 by the end of your warm-up.
However, if you are warming-up
for a race or speed session you will need to reach the level of effort that you plan to maintain during the
subsequent session. This may mean a warm-up that is significantly longer than 10 minutes.
NB: Next time you run at the club try not to race out of the gate, but instead jog slowly and gradually build up your speed. Don’t get carried away with the Bitton masses!
If you are racing or planning to include speed work in your training session the warm-up becomes crucial.
The following are some useful exercises that can be incorporated into your warm-up. They are best done
after an initial 5-10 minutes of easy jogging. This will help to ensure that your muscles are warm and
therefore function more efficiently and are less prone to injury.
NB There is no point trying to stretch cold muscles and it can even lead to injury.
Aim to perform each of the exercises below over 10-15m, with a walk back or jog recovery. Try to perform 2-3
reps of each.
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Lunge walk – for loosening up the hips, improving leg drive and strengthening the glutei (butt)
and hamstring muscles. Assume a lunge position and step forwards into another lunge. Keep your chest up, look
straight ahead and co-ordinate your arms with your legs.
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Running high knee lift – for hip flexor and ankle strength as well as stretching the glutei and
low back. Extend up onto the toes and lift each thigh to a position parallel with the ground as you move
forwards . Stay on the balls of your feet, and drive your knees up as high as possible, and then down
as quickly as possible.
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Calf walk – for lower limb strength and Achilles flexibility. With each step push up onto your
toes before taking the next step forward;
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Sideways and backwards skipping/running – for lower limb strength, agility and flexibility (just
make sure there are no lamp posts behind you first!).
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Running butt kicks – to stretch the quadriceps and hip flexors. Begin running by flexing your
knee and bringing your heel back and around to your buttocks. Maintain a slight forward lean throughout and
stay on the balls of your feet. Complete approximately 20 kicks over 10 meters.
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Running Carioca –
to stretch the abductors (outer thigh), adductors (inner thigh), glutei, ankles and hips.
Stay on the balls of your feet with your hips in a low semi-squat position. Begin the drill by twisting your hips and crossing one leg in front of the other, bring your
trail leg through, and cross your lead leg behind the trail leg.
Your shoulders remain square through the entire drill.
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Simulated running arm action, standing or seated. The seated version (sitting with your legs straight
out in front of you and no back support) is great for specific core stability, as you have to work hard to
maintain stability on the ground. Perform for 15-60 seconds, altering your speed of movement. If you
are performing this exercise in standing make sure that your pelvis/hips remains still. To make the
exercise more difficult stand on your tip-toes!
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Strides
– these are usually incorporated into a warm-up prior to speed work/racing. They are
usually performed over 60-100 meters at 75% of your full sprint effort.
Why warm down?
After you’ve run hard the first thing you want to do is head straight for the showers and bar. An abrupt
finish to exercise can cause cramps, dizziness, abnormal strain on the heart, and hamper the removal of the
body’s waste products such as lactic acid.
The benefits from a good warm down and stretching
session are that you may prevent injury, help to bring the shortened muscles back to their original length, and
reduce or avoid post exercise stiffness. When you stretch you are trying to increase the range of movement
around a joint or a group of joints. This helps to strengthen the joint and to increase the flow of blood into
the muscles around the joint.
How to warm down
Just spend five minutes longer on your feet at a gentle pace to cool your body but don’t get cold (hence
‘warm’ down). By the end of the warm down you should be breathing normally. Follow this with
some stretching. A warm down is particularly important if you are returning to your desk or other
sedentary position after your run. Without a good warm down you are more likely to develop tight calves
and hamstrings.
Stretching: why bother?
Stretching reduces muscle soreness after running and results in better athletic performance. Gentle stretching
after a race or intense workout can also promote healing and lactic acid removal from the muscles.
Stretching is
most effective when performed several times each week; a minimum of one stretching session per week is probably
sufficient to maintain flexibility. Stretching in your daily life is also a great way to reduce stress and
tension.
Detailed below are some useful stretches for runners that should be carried out regularly after exercise. There are many different examples of stretches and you may find others that suit you better. However, there are a few simple rules to follow when stretching:
- Do not stretch cold
muscles. It is far better to stretch after a run than before.
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Do not bounce during a stretch, particularly when your muscles are cold. It's a common mistake, but bouncing
risks pulling or tearing the muscle you're trying to stretch.
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Stretch slowly and hold each stretch for 30 to 40 seconds. Muscles must be stretched gradually. If a
stretch is applied too quickly, the muscle responds with a strong contraction, increasing tension. If the
stretch is applied slowly, however, this contraction reflex is avoided, muscle tension falls, and you may
stretch the muscle further.
- Breathe and
relax while holding a stretch
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Do not stretch beyond the point where you begin to feel tightness in the muscle. Do not push through muscle
resistance, and never stretch to the point of discomfort or pain.
- Avoid "locking" elbows or knees straight.
- Focus on the
muscle(s) you are trying to stretch and then try to lengthen them
- Repeat each
stretch two or three times on both sides.
The following stretches focus on the low back, pelvis and lower limbs. For general health and fitness you
should also incorporate stretches of the upper limbs, shoulders, torso and neck. The following website
provides details of additional stretching exercises:
http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/info/fitness-exercises.asp
Lower Leg (Calf) (1) - Gastrocnemius
In standing step back with one foot and bend the front knee. Keep the back leg straight, push the back heel into
the ground and keep your bottom tucked in. There should not be much pressure on the front foot. Ensure both feet are facing forward and are parallel (i.e. don’t let your heels turn in). Use the wall for
support if necessary. Feel the stretch in the calf of the back leg.
Gastrocnemius Stretch
Lower Leg (Calf) (2) - Soleus
Take a small step forward with one foot. Keep you back upright and hands on hips for balance. Bend both knees
placing the weight through your back leg. Keep both feet flat to ground and facing forward (parallel). Feel the stretch in the lower calf of the back leg, down into the Achilles.
Soleus Stretch
Hamstrings (back of thigh)
Lie down with one leg straight up in the air, the other bent with foot flat on the ground. Loop a towel over the
arch of the lifted foot, and gently pull on the towel as you push against it with your foot. Push only to the
point where you feel a stretch.
Lying Hamstring Stretch
Alternatively, place one leg on a barrier of a comfortable height. Keeping your back straight (do not slump),
gently lean forward from hips, stretching the hamstring. Keep support leg slightly bent and ensure supporting
foot is facing forward.
Standing Hamstring Stretch
Quadriceps (front of thigh)
In standing bring your heel to your butt. Clasp with one hand. Keep knees together and support leg slightly
bent, thus stretching your quadriceps. Keep your back straight and upright. Ensure support foot is facing
forward. You can use your free hand on a wall to support yourself.
Standing Quadriceps Stretch
Alternatively, kneel down without resting back on your heels. Lean back with your body straight and your arms to
your side.
Kneeling Quadriceps Stretch
Hip & Lower Back Stretch (especially piriformis and
glutei)
Sit on the ground with your legs crossed. Start by lifting your right leg and crossing it over the left, which
should remain bent. Hug the right leg to your chest and twist the trunk of your body to look over your right
shoulder. Change legs and repeat on the other side.
Piriformis Stretch
Iliotibial Band
Stretch (outer thigh region from hip to
knee)
Place one foot around the other with both feet flat on the ground. Keeping both legs straight, lean your hip
towards the side of your back foot (so if your right foot is behind, lean your hips to the right). You should
feel the stretch down the outside of your leg and around your hip.
Standing Iliotibial band Stretch
Alternatively, lie on your side with both legs bent in a running position. Bring the bottom leg toward your
chest and then bring the top one back toward your buttocks, so that the running position of your legs is
exaggerated as possible. Allow the back (top) leg to drop towards the ground.
Lying Iliotibial band Stretch
Low Back Stretch
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Hug your shins to your chest to stretch your hamstrings and lower back.
Low Back Stretch
Hip Flexor (front of hip)
Start by kneeling on both knees. Step forward with one foot while keeping the other knee on the floor. Slide your back leg behind you until you feel the stretch in the front of the hip (the knee may
come off the floor). To intensify the stretch , push your hips forward and straighten your body. Make
sure the front foot can be seen over knee.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Groin Stretch (Adductors)
In sitting put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean
forward and gently press your knees toward the ground. Keeping a straight back and bringing your feet
closer to your body intensifies the stretch.
Adductor stretch
Finally, although the benefits of warming-up, warming-down and stretching may not be as immediately obvious and
can seem tedious they may save you a lot of trouble and keep you running when you might otherwise become
injured. You may even find a few benefits such as reduced muscle soreness after running and even better
athletic performance. Try to build them all into your daily running schedule.
Some
useful websites for further information:
http://www.momentumsports.co.uk/TtStBody.asp
http://www.running4women.com/health.php?article_id=100
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=484&v=4
The
following book is due for release in November:
Norris CM 2008 Stretching for Running. A&C Black.
Acknowledgements must go to my two willing models, Jo Webb and Ron Shannon!
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