Running is one of the best ways to attain fitness. Regular running helps maintain good health and lead a stress-free life. Almost every runner knows the importance of a warm-up before running, and warming up before running is one of the crucial fitness tips to know.
A warm-up, such as cardio- strength training, stretching or yoga- should be done before a workout session. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time since 5-10 minutes is typically all you need to get your body ready to work out. Plan to spend more time warming up for an intense workout, whereas you can spend less time warming up for low- to moderate-intensity workouts. But have you ever wondered why?
To help you understand why it is so important to warm-up before running, we have put together a list of the most important physiological effects of warming up.
1. Strength
Warm-up prompts the heart to pump more blood in the body. As your heart rate will increase, your core body temperature will also increase. This makes all of the blood vessels, including the arteries and the capillaries widen, enabling the blood to reach throughout the body. This in flip will increase the delivery of oxygen and vitamins to the muscle tissues and will strengthen them.
2. Flexibility
An excellent warm-up helps the bones and joints to relax. The synovial fluid secreted through the joints lubricates them. Before a warm-up, the synovial fluid is quite viscous. Increase in body temperature makes the fluid less viscous and makes your joints more flexible promoting easing movements.
3. Prepares the Mind to Workout
Warm-up helps prepare the mind for the activity. Any voluntary exercise starts and ends in the mind. A conscious decision precedes a voluntary attempt. Although the role of cardio-respiratory and muscle metabolic capacities in performance cannot be avoided.
4. Warm-up Before Running Prevents Injuries
For your body to work like a properly, you want to prep it for at least 15 minutes prior the workout session. When the body is in a comfy, rested state, the muscles do not require a rush of blood flow. Maximum of the small blood vessels or capillaries inside those muscles are closed at this point, causing tight muscles that are not flexible. This may cause an injury.
As discussed, warm-up increases muscle temperature, enhancing the coordination and the flexibility around the joints. The advanced blood flow additionally optimizes aerobic function.
Warming-up additionally prevents a stabbing pain felt beneath the ribs for the duration of a brisk walk or a run. It’s a cramp associated with respiratory. When your aerobic ability improves, this pain can be averted.
How to Warm-up Before Running
- This may include 10 to 20 minutes of jogging, followed by short dynamic stretching exercises.
- Afterwards, you should do some running drills.
- Strides are particularly good for getting you ready to run at your pace. These involve gradually accelerating your pace up to a submaximal sprint (approx. 90 % of your maximal sprint).
- However, be careful not to warm-up too much and tire yourself out, because this can hurt your performance. Also, different running distances require different warm-up times.