Many people know this feeling of impatience when you want to get on the route as soon as possible and start jogging. But, no matter how rushed you are to start running, you can’t deprive your muscles of such an important stage as warming up.
Warming up is necessary for the muscles and joints of even the most advanced runner. In its absence, the joints begin to work “dry”, which is fraught with a worn meniscus and such a serious disease as osteoarthritis.

Running without warming up is like trying to get an airplane into the air without acceleration, when a rapid takeoff is invariably followed by a fall. It is the warm-up that increases the heart rate and body temperature, starting the metabolic process, when the blood from the internal organs is accelerated to the muscles and joints. This contributes to their enrichment with oxygen and nutrients.

Warming up warms the joints, due to which synovial fluid is released from the cartilage – a natural lubricant, which prevents many injuries.

First swings, stretching and walking. The best warm-up option before running is light aerobic exercises: rotation and lunges with legs, swinging arms, circular movements of the hips. But you should not start a warm-up with a classic stretch: cold muscles can be easily damaged. Therefore, when stretching, it is better to give preference not to static, but to dynamic exercises.

We have selected a set of exercises that will help your muscles warm up quickly.

Maki kicks to the side and back and forth

It is performed in two sets of five to six poppies on each side.

Stand up straight, with straight legs. Lift one leg and take it away from you, then towards you, crossing your legs in front of you. Make sure that the pelvis does not mix. Then change your leg.

Now, keeping your body straight, raise one leg in front of you, then lower it and take it back. It is important that the torso does not deviate forward or backward, and the pelvis remains fixed in a level position.

When finished, do the exercise on the other leg.

Stretching the ankle and calf muscles

Place your feet slightly narrower than shoulder width. One leg should be completely on the foot, the other should rest on the toes and the ball of the foot.

Shift your weight from one foot to the other, the movement mimics walking in place, in which the weight moves not from heel to toe, but from toe to heel.

Repeat the exercise 8-10 times on each leg.

March in place

March on place, raising straight legs high, like soldiers on parade. Try to touch the raised leg with the opposite hand.

In time, this exercise should last at least a minute.

Crossing arms

Spread your arms out to the sides at shoulder level. Lock them in a straight position. Now, as if closing, cross them at chest level so that one hand is above the other, alternately changing hands.

Repeat the exercise 8-10 times.

Running with a hip lift

Quickly take one step with a high hip lift, and then run a few steps in a calm mode. Then repeat the same on the other leg. Do eight sets on both sides.

With this exercise, you can complete the warm-up.

Running without a warm-up

Morning running without a warm-up is stressful for the body. As a result, you can become irritable, and running will not bring any pleasure.

A sharp increase in heart rate when running without warming up is an excessive load on the heart muscle and blood vessels. Warming up increases the pulse smoothly.

Without a warm-up, the first few minutes of running will be intermittent and confused breathing. And instead of enriching the internal organs with oxygen, the body will experience a shortage of it. After warming up, breathing evenly is much easier, which will definitely affect the quality of your run.

Basic principles of warming up

To properly warm up the muscles, warm up for at least 10 minutes.
Start at a slow pace and gradually speed up.
The lower the air temperature, the longer the warm-up.
Work your upper torso to take the pressure off your back and avoid injury while running.
At sub-zero temperatures, it makes sense to do a warm-up indoors.