Warming up before the run is not a waste of time. It prepares the muscles and the whole body for the load and also prevents possible injuries. Do it always – before training and if possible before a race. So, how to do it?
Those who skip the preparation before the run are making a mistake and possibly harming themselves. Starting a run completely without preparation is a shock to the body. The muscles are not warmed up and there is a risk of injury. Rather than stretching, it is important to start with a slow jog. Five to ten minutes is enough, only after that can you stretch, rather dynamically. However, if the temperature outside is close to zero, make the stretching brisk and short or skip it. You could very easily catch a cold or even tear a muscle.
It’s a bit different before a race. You should jog, but often in big races you have to wait in the corridor for quite a long time. So, when you move into the corridor, jump and move your arms, either by circling – if you have the space to do so – or by making a more intense movement with your arms, like when you run – it’s called “arm swing”.
No room to warm up before the start? No problem, on long distance races you can warm up even in the first kilometre of the race. The start may not be the fastest, but you’ll avoid problems later in the race.
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