Let’s talk about the importance of Warmups and Dynamics and why you should NOT skip them on your long runs.

• The warm-up is widely viewed as a simple measure to prepare your body for exerciseThe warm-up is widely viewed as a simple measure to prepare your body for exerciseThe warm-up is widely viewed as a simple measure to prepare your body for exerciseThe warm up is widely viewed as a simple measure to prepare your body for exercise. Your warm up should last at least 10 minutes or slightly longer if it is cold outside, or you are training at a higher intensity level.
• Part of your warm up should include Dynamic Stretching. DS is active movements of muscle that bring forth a stretch but are not held in the end position. Examples of dynamic stretching are:  high knees, butt kicks, grass pickers, and Toy Soldiers.

For every Without Limits practice you attend, do your warm up and then do dynamics. Often times, for some reason, many of us don’t do them before our long runs. Now that the temperature has dropped and its cold out I know that it is tempting to just shoot out the front door and head out on your long run without a proper warmup and dynamics.  I mean come on who wants to stand around and shiver plus the faster you run the warmer you will be right…   But heading right out the gate is a recipe for disaster and you run the risk of pulling a muscle or starting out at a pace you cannot sustain and end up burning out sooner then you had planned.  Plus warming up and doing dynamics adds time to the run and you are on a tight schedule.   However, a smart warmup will help you in the “long run”.   Here’s what a good warmup and dynamic routine will do for your body.

• Increased heart rate and respiration (getting the body revved up for your workout)
• Improved range of motion and lubricated joints
• Actively stretch your muscles to prepare them for what you’ll be asking them for during the run.
• More capillary activation (delivering more oxygen to your muscles)
• improves body awareness and Reinforces good running posture
• Increased elasticity in your tendons and ligaments (this reduces the risk of tears)
• Enhanced performance

NOW, read the last bullet point again… Yep a good warmup and dynamic routine can help enhance your performance so that you can run better, faster, and longer.  So, I don’t know about you but if a series of exercises can help me run faster, sign me up!

Hope to see you at our next practice.

Coach Maleia.