The Best Stretches To Do Before You Run
Your perfect warm-up, right here.
No matter the workout you have on your training plan, a proper warm-up can prime your body (and your mind!) for the kilometres or intervals ahead. And you do need a little warm-up before you start running.
“You wouldn’t start your car in sub-freezing temperature, rev it up to 120km/h, and expect it to perform well,” says trainer Tony Gentilcore, and owner of CORE. “A warm-up equals better joint lubrication, blood flow and nervous system activation.”
While there are many physical benefits of a solid warm-up, it isn’t just a time to get your body ready to go. It’s also the time to tap into your mind-body connection and get into the right mindset for the kilometres ahead.
“With a proper warm-up, you decrease your likelihood for injury and also give yourself the adequate time to prepare mentally for the load you’re about to endure,” says Corinne Fitzgerald, head coach of Orangtheory Fitness and Asics Runkeeper coach. “After all, a workout is always part physical, part mental.”
Why You Should Do Standing Stretches Before Running
While we all might know it’s important to warm-up, many of us are notorious for neglecting to do so. One of the excuses — er, reasons — is practicality: When you’re in a parking lot, a race start or at a trailhead, you can’t exactly roll out a yoga mat and start stretching.
The other limiting factor that often comes up is time, or rather, lack thereof. “Most runners are in a rush,” says Fitzgerald. “They allow only a specific amount of time for their kilometres, but they forget that the warm-up and cool-down should be added into the equation when carving out time in your schedule.” She suggests considering your warm-up as part of your workout, not an unnecessary add-on.
While the perfect set of pre-run stretches can vary per person and workout, five minutes of performing basic stretches before running is a low investment that reaps big rewards. These pre-run stretches provide do-anywhere dynamic moves that will get your body ready to run. You can do them all standing so it doesn’t matter where you are, and all you need is five minutes to tackle them, and then get moving.
How to use this list: Perform each exercise below for 60 seconds. Each move is demonstrated by Matthew Meyer, a certified run coach, so you can learn proper form. If you have more time, repeat the series 1 to 2 more times for a 10- to 15-minute warmup.
1. Standing Hip Controlled Articular Rotation (CAR)
Why it works: “These help you assess and improve your range of motion and lubricate the hip joint. They also increase mobility, which will be beneficial not only for your immediate workout but also for your joint health in the long run,” says Fitzgerald.
Doing this exercise consistently is key. There’s not a lot of dynamic hip motion involved with running, and “if you don’t use your hip mobility, you lose it,” adds Gentilcore.
How to do it: Stand tall on right leg and raise left knee to 90-degrees in line with left hip. Brace core, keep pelvis in a neutral position, and place hands on hips for balance. This is your starting position. Rotate left knee out to the side, then down and in toward centreline, then back up to the starting position — think of it as drawing a circle in the air with knee. Move slow and with control; keep pelvis and lower back as still as possible while doing this move. The goal is to increase the range of motion in the hip joint. Repeat 5-10 times per side for a total of 60 seconds.
2. Lunge With Side Bend
Why it works: “Running is a single-leg activity, so it makes sense to warm up with a single-leg variation,” Gentilcore says. “The side bend adds an additional plane of motion [to your training] — the frontal plane — which many runners fail to train.”
Fitzgeralds also likes this stretch because it prepares you for the single-leg load you experience during the run, it stretches out the quad and up to the shoulder, and opens the pathway for more oxygen to come in while you breathe.
How to do it: Stand tall with feet hip-distance apart, engage core, and place hands on hips. Take a big step forward with left foot. Bend left knee to a 90-degree angle to lower down until left thigh is parallel to the floor with knee centred over ankle. Bend right knee slightly as right heel lifts off the floor. When you feel stable, rest left forearm on left thigh and reach the right arm straight overhead, creating length in right side body. Then bend torso over to the left while stretching the right arm over head to the left. Hold for 5 seconds. Return to standing and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating for 60 seconds.
3. Standing Quad/Hip Flexor Stretch
Why it works: “The standing quad stretch opens up the front of the leg and helps lengthen your hip flexors,” Fitzgerald says. Tight hip flexors can affect the hamstring’s ability to activate fully, adds Gentilcore.
Beyond the stretch, this move has additional benefits. “Standing on one leg at a time also helps to focus on stability and the firing of the core muscles to hold your posture upright,” Fitzgerald adds.
How to do it: Stand tall and engage core. Bend right knee to bring right heel up toward right glute and grab right ankle with right hand. Pull ankle into glute while simultaneously tucking tailbone slightly forward. You should feel the stretch along the length of quad up into the front of hips. Hold for a breath, then repeat on the other side. Continue alternating.
4. Lateral Squat Stretch
Why it works: “Adding in more frontal plane motion [with this movement] is a nice way to add variety and amplitude to a runner’s life. Plus, the adductors and groin are almost always ‘tight’ with most people,” says Gentilcore. Tight adductors can seriously mess with your stride, Fitzgerald explains, so loosening them up can promote better form.
How to do it: Stand tall with feet wide and toes pointing forward. Clasp hands in front of chest for balance. Shift weight onto right foot, bend right knee, and send hips back as though you’re sitting in a chair while keeping the left leg straight. Make sure right knee does not move forward past right toes. Aim to get right thigh as horizontal as possible. You should feel a stretch along the muscles of left inner thigh. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then switch to the other side. Repeat for 60 seconds.
5. Standing Dynamic Hamstring/Calf Stretch
Why it works: “The hamstrings are a major muscle group that power the running motion. [This stretch] can allow you to get deep into the hamstring without static or over-stretching,” Fitzgerald says. Plus, this move does double-duty with a calf stretch.
Tight calves are an almost universal concern for runners and can contribute to several issues. That’s because the gastrocnemius muscle crosses the knee joint and is often a culprit of knee pain, according to Gentilcore.
“Your calves are smaller muscles that handle a ton of load and spring as a runner,” adds Fitzgerald. “With a point and flex of your foot, you can warm up the entire backside of your leg.”
How to do it: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Place the heel of the right foot about 12 inches in front of you and flex the foot. Keeping the right leg straight, shift weight onto the left leg while bending knee slightly, and send hips back — you should feel a stretch down the back of right leg. Stay in this position and point the right foot, hold for 5 seconds, then flex the foot for 5 seconds. Stand back up. Repeat this 3 times per leg.
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