Squeezing in a run on an otherwise hectic day is a feat in and of itself, and one you should no doubt feel proud of accomplishing. But we often hear that you should also add a 20-minute prerun warmup into the mix. The reality is that doesn’t always happen.
In fact, a recent poll of Runner’s World Instagram followers confirmed that most people—about 75 percent—forgo a proper prerun warmup routine. So, does getting the body moving with a running warmup actually provide benefits before you clock miles? Let us explain.
Benefits of a Running Warmup
According to a study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics, warming up is definitely beneficial. Researchers split a group of 36 athletes into three groups: those who did a 20-minute bicycling warmup before performing weighted lunges, those who only did a cooldown, and those who did neither. Everyone was given a pain threshold test on the two days following to determine muscle soreness, and guess what? The group who warmed up had the highest pain threshold and reported relatively ache-free muscles.
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There’s a difference between that bicycling warmup and simply taking it slow the first mile into your run, says Katie Dundas-Schneider, a doctor of physical therapy at Dignity Health in Chandler, Arizona. “Both cycling and running keep blood moving to bigger muscles in the legs, which is important in a warmup, but the cycling also provides a dynamic stretch to the hamstrings and quadriceps,” she says. “A light jog doesn’t offer that same stretch and response movement.”
Another study published in the the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research further supports the benefits of a prerun warmup: Researchers found that runners who performed a dynamic stretching routine before a treadmill workout, were better able to sustain a hard effort for longer than those who didn’t.
So if there’s no question that a warmup gives you bonus benefits, the real Q becomes: “How long do I need to actually do a running warmup?” That’s where the even better news comes in. Warming up for just a few minutes may work just as well as a longer warmup, so long as that time is spent on focused, dynamic movement.
A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that when scientists analyzed velocity, heart rate, oxygen intake, and rate of perceived exertion in endurance runners, they noted no significant differences in most categories between the long and short warmup, though perceived exertion and heart rate were slightly higher for the longer option.
In fact, Dundas-Schneider says, you can keep your warmup super quick. “An abbreviated version of five minutes of dynamic stretching still provides what you need to help prevent injury,” she says.
What’s more: As we age, muscle elasticity decreases, and Dundas-Schneider says warming up properly expands your range of motion to help counteract those deficits.
To help you gain all these benefits of a running warmup without taking up too much of your time, here’s a super quick and easy five-minute prerun warmup you can turn to before every run.
How to use this list: These six dynamic moves from Dundas-Schneider are demonstrated by Jess Movold, Runner’s World+ Run Coach, so you can learn the proper form. Perform each for 30 seconds to one minute at the start of every run. Then consider your running engine officially revved.
6 Pre-Run Warmup Exercises
1. Quad + Piriformis Walk
Targets: Quads, glutes, piriformis
Start standing then draw left foot up behind you, pulling toward butt for a quad stretch. Release and step forward. Switch legs. After 30 seconds, cradle right leg at ankle and knee, knee bent about 90 degrees, and pull up to chest. Release and step forward. Switch legs. Repeat for 30 seconds.
2. Hip Opener
Targets: Deep hip external rotators
Start standing. Bend right knee and lift knee to hip level, then rotate the knee out to 90 degrees. (Place hand over knee to stabilize and guide if needed.) Bring leg back to front, then lower foot. Switch sides. Repeat for 30 seconds.
3. Arm Circles
Targets: Chest, deltoids, upper back
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lift arms out to shoulder height, palms down. Make small circles. After 30 seconds, switch direction. Continue for another 30 seconds.
4. Frankenstein Walk
Targets: Hamstrings
Stand with feet together. Extend right leg straight out in front of you and bring left hand to tap right toes. Lower leg and step forward. Repeat on opposite side. Continue alternating for 30 seconds.
5. Leg Crossover + Scorpion
Targets: Lower back, hamstrings, hip flexors
Lie faceup, legs straight and arms out to sides. Lift right leg up and across body, tapping foot to the floor. Bring foot back to center and then lower leg back down. Repeat on other side. After 30 seconds, flip over to lie facedown and perform a Scorpion.
Lie facedown. Draw left leg up and cross it over body so left foot is nearly in line with right hip. Hold for a breath or two, then bring leg back through center and lower leg back down. Repeat on other side. Continue alternating for 30 seconds.
6. Inchworm
Targets: Core, deltoids, hamstrings
Start standing. Fold forward at waist to touch toes, then walk hands out to a high plank. Hold for 2 seconds. Then walk feet back to meet hands. Roll up to stand. Repeat for 1 minute.
