Your legs move awkwardly, your lungs struggle to get in enough air and you wonder how you can keep running when starting out feels so bad. When you begin running, your body needs time to warm up and adjust to the greater demand placed on your legs and lungs. To warm up for your next run or race, incorporate some dynamic range-of-motion drills that will activate and loosen your muscles and make those first few minutes of the run feel smoother and easier.
Kick Some Butt
The butt-kick drill is a dynamic warm-up exercise to improve range of motion and get the running muscles ready to run. Travis Brown, certified strength and conditioning coach, writes in the North American Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (NSCA) Performance Training Journal, this active, dynamic drill serves dual roles of improving running technique and also warming the body up for harder efforts. Terrance Mahon--professional distance running coach of such athletes as Olympic bronze medalist Denna Kastor and marathoner Ryan Hall--also suggests warming up with this drill. To perform this drill, bring the right leg forward by lifting the knee. At the same time, pull your heel up by contracting your hamstring. Begin by doing this for 10 to 20 yards with each leg. Once you get familiar with the movement, incorporate alternating the right and left legs into one continuous movement.
Get Up
Mahon also recommends runners warm up with high-knee drills. This drill increases the hips' range of motion through its exaggerated running movement. In an article written for the NSCA Performance Training Journal, certified strength and conditioning coach John M. Cissik says to begin by walking forward and lifting the knee as high up as possible--at least to hip height and preferably higher. Throughout the movement, the foot of the lifted leg should be parallel to the ground with the toe pointed forward. Do this drill for 10 to 20 yards. After successfully alternating legs while walking, speed up the drill until moving forward in a high-knee running movement.
Step to the Side
Another running warm-up exercise is the sideways lunge. Sideways lunges activate muscles in the hips and glutes that support and hold body position while running. From a standing position, step sideways to about twice shoulder width. Bend your knees to squat down to close to 90 degrees while keeping your weight on your heels. Extend the legs to lift the body back up and then bring the trailing leg toward the lead leg. Step to the side again and continue repeating this movement for 10 to 20 yards and then repeat with the opposite leg leading.
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