Your Next Running Warm-Up, Sorted

One of the reasons running is so popular is the sheer lack of admin involved. You put your clothes, shoes and headphones on, head out the door (or hop on the treadmill) and away you go.

No equipment. No commute. Nothing complicated. So we get that adding in a warm-up can sometimes feel like another thing you just can’t be bothered doing, but trust us. Even if all you can squeeze in is five minutes, it’s worth making time for.

Why bother with a running warm-up?

According to research from 2022, a meta-analysis of 32 studies found that in 79% of cases, warm-ups improve performance. 2024 research has also shown that dynamic warm-ups have a wide range of physiological benefits for your cardiovascular, psychological, neurological and musculoskeletal systems.

• Musculoskeletal system benefits: improved range of motion, muscle flexibility, force production and muscle temperature, as well as reduced risk of injury

• Neurological benefits: improved nerve function, muscle activation, and joint and body awareness

• Cardiovascular benefits: increased heart rate, body temperature and circulation

• Psychological benefits: enhanced readiness to exercise, enjoyment of the activity, and a reduced perception of effort

Athletes who make time for dynamic warm-ups tend to experience fewer muscle strains, sprains and overuse injuries than those who skip their warm-up or choose to do static stretches instead.

For Sweat trainer Katie Martin, an experienced runner with several half and full marathons under her belt, failing to warm-up before you run is a mistake you don’t want to make.

“Skipping your warm up, at any stage of your running, makes for a harder run, a more “sluggish” run and increases the chance of injury substantially!” she explains.

“If you don’t warm up, you’re most likely going to spend the first kilometre or two getting your muscles working the way you want them to. This is going to feel SHOCKING and usually why you want to stop running as soon as you start. For beginners, this is tough to push through.”

How to structure your running warm-up

Your running warm-up doesn’t need to be complicated or lengthy. Five minutes of dynamic bodyweight exercises that focus on the muscles and movements you’ll be using while running is great! We’re not talking static stretches here - stick to dynamic movements designed to increase blood flow, body temperature and range of motion.

If you have any tight muscles and extra time up your sleeve, you might want to incorporate a little bit of foam rolling, too (calf muscles and the IT band running from your hip to your knee are common niggly spots for runners).

When you’re ready to begin your run, it’s also recommended you start with five minutes of jogging at an easy pace - something slower than the pace you’ll be running for the rest of your run.

10 dynamic stretches for your next running warm-up

These are some of our favourite running warm-up exercises. Performing each movement for 30 seconds would make for a perfect five-minute warm-up, but feel free to mix and match to create a warm-up that works for your body and the time you have available.

You’ll notice that several of these exercises are unilateral, meaning they work one side of your body at a time. Why? Because every single step of your run is unilateral, so we want to prepare your body as best as we can for that movement. There are also plenty of movements designed to mobilise your core and upper body - trust us when we tell you no running warm-up is complete without them.

If you’re doing a specific type of running session, such as sprints or hills, you might want to add more tailored movements to your warm-up such as plyometrics (jumping exercises) to practice moving with explosive power. This could be jump squats, skaters, or reverse lunges into a jumping knee drive.

Leg swings

These warm up your glutes, hips and the muscles in your legs, while also warming up your feet and ankles by balancing on one leg.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding something for support with your left hand if you need.

2. Lift your right foot off the floor and start swinging your leg back and forth, using your core to keep your torso stabilised.

3. You can start with gentle small swings and build up to bigger swings as you feel more comfortable.

4. Continue swinging the leg backwards and forwards for 15-30 seconds before switching sides. You can also perform these with your leg swinging left and right in front of your body rather than forwards and backwards.

Lunge and twist

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your forearms stacked directly in front of your chest. This is your starting position.

2. Lift your left foot and take a big step forward into a lunge position, bending both knees to approximately 90 degrees, ensuring that your weight is evenly distributed between both legs. When done correctly, your front knee will be aligned with your ankle, and your back knee will be hovering just off the floor.

3. While in the lunge position, twist your torso to bring your forearms over your front leg, ensuring your knee remains in line with your middle toe. Unravel your torso to bring your forearms in front of your chest.

4. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your right foot. Step your left foot backward to return to the starting position.

5. Repeat, alternating sides.

World’s greatest stretch

1. Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart.

2. Take a big step forward with your left foot to come into a deep lunge with your right leg extended behind you, resting on the ball of your foot with your right knee lifted off the ground. Make sure your left knee remains stacked over your ankle.

3. Place both hands on the floor on the inside of your left foot and hold the stretch for three to five seconds, breathing deeply throughout.

4. Keeping your right leg extended with your knee elevated off the floor, release your left hand and reach your arm up towards the ceiling, rotating your torso towards your left knee and turning your gaze up towards your left hand.

5. Hold this position for the specified amount of time, breathing deeply throughout. Repeat this stretch on the other side.

Butt kicks

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.

2. Keeping your weight on your left leg, bend your right leg to bring your foot to your glutes.

3. Lower your right leg back to the floor, then bend your left leg to bring your foot to your glutes.

4. Once you are comfortable with this movement, increase your speed so that you are hopping from one foot to the other.

Calf pumps

1. Place both hands on the mat slightly further than shoulder-width apart, feet together on the mat behind you while resting on the balls of your feet in a push-up position. While maintaining a neutral spine and stabilising through your abdominals, elevate your hips to create an inverted ‘V-shape’. With knees slightly bent, press your heels into the mat and tilt your tailbone upwards. This is your starting position.

2. Start to gently pedal your feet one at a time, bending your right knee as you push your left heel back towards the mat, then bending your left knee as you push your right heel back towards the mat. Continue alternating sides, feeling a nice stretch in your calves.

High knees

1. Stand with your feet slightly further than shoulder-width apart.

2. Keeping your weight on your left foot, bend your right leg to bring your knee into your chest.

3. Lower your right leg and plant your foot on the floor. Keeping your weight on your right leg, bend your left leg to bring your knee into your chest.

4. Once you are comfortable with this movement, increase your speed so that you are hopping from one foot to the other.

Arm circles

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and extend your arms out to either side of your body at shoulder height. This is your starting position.

2. Gently start rotating both arms forwards in small circles.

3. If you’re doing 30 seconds of arm circles, complete 15 seconds circling forwards and 15 seconds circling backwards.

Squat rotation

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lower yourself into a squat position by bending at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are slightly below parallel to the floor if you can, keeping your back as straight as you can.

2. Place your hands between your feet with your palms or fingertips pressed into the floor. This is your starting position.

3. While maintaining a straight back, release your right hand and extend your arm upwards. Lengthen your spine and rotate your torso towards your right knee, turning your eyes towards your right hand. Hold the stretch for three to five seconds, breathing deeply throughout.

4. Untwist your torso and lower your hand to return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.

5. Continue alternating between the left and right sides.

Hip openers or 90-degree wipers

A common exercise included in running warm-ups is standing hip openers, where you lift one foot off the ground, bring your knee towards your chest, then rotate it out to the side before bringing your foot back to the ground. If you want a seated hip-opener, these wipers are also a great option.

1. Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front of your body and the other bent behind your body with both your hips and knees at a 90-degree angle. Your torso should be upright with your hands resting behind you for support. This is your starting position.

2. While keeping your feet on the floor and your spine in a neutral position, lift both knees off the ground at the same time and swivel your hips so that your knees move to the opposite side of your body like window wipers. Allow your hips to relax as you move through your full range of motion. You should aim to keep your glutes in contact with the ground throughout this movement.

3. Continue alternating between sides.

Mountain climbers

Engaging your core is essential for good running form and mountain climbers are a great way to ignite a bit of fire in your core while still warming up your lower body.

1. Place both hands on the yoga mat shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet in a high plank position. Gently draw your ribs to your hips to engage your core. This is your starting position.

2. Keeping your left foot on the floor, bend your right knee and bring it in towards your chest.

3. Extend your right leg to return to the starting high plank position, then bring your left knee in towards your chest.

4. Continue alternating between the right and left sides, aiming to build to a running motion in your high plank position.

Get off on the right foot

A better warm-up means a better run. Start your next run with these exercises and see if you notice a difference!