Dynamic Warm-up for COLD Running
By: David Ridgewell MScPT, BScKin
A proper warm-up should always be a part of your exercise plan. But this is even more true when preparing for a run in colder weather. Dynamic stretching will better prepare your body and decrease the likelihood of sustaining muscle/tendon strains.
A dynamic warm-up requires muscles to move and stretch through different ranges of motion. This is a contrast to static stretching, which involves longer holds in one position. Benefits of dynamic stretching include: 1) increasing muscle readiness for sport specific movements, 2) increasing blood flow and temperature of muscles, 3) increasing the neuromuscular connection between your brain and muscles, and 4) increasing muscles ability to generate power vs static stretching.
Here are some excellent dynamic warm-up stretches specific for running:
Leg Swings Front/Back:
3 x 30
Keep your core muscles engaged to limit motion from your lower back. You want to feel the movement come from your hip. Start with the first few swings lower, working to your highest at repetition 30.
Leg Swings side to side:
3×30
Keep your core muscles engaged to limit motion from your lower back. You want to feel the movement come from your hip. Start with the first few swings lower, working to your highest at repetition 30.
Drop Squats:
3×15
Start with a narrow stance and a slight knee bend. The movement is a quick drop into a squat position with the feet wider than hip width apart. Return to the beginning position and repeat. Speed is not the main focus, but you want the movement to be quick.
Heel Drops
3×15
Find a curb or step and lift both heels up as high as you can. The movement is a controlled drop of the heels past the level of the curb/step. Follow a tempo of 2sec up, 1 sec down.