Proper Warm-Up and Cool Down

Want to get more out of your training regimen without running harder or farther? You can! Adding a proper warm-up and cool-down routine to your daily training will help you get more out of each run and workout without adding the stress of more training. When you are putting in the time and doing the hard part already, the running, why not make the most of it?! Properly warming up and cooling down helps the body prepare for, and recover from, each individual training day and will result in healthier, easier, more consistent training. The following paragraphs break down the steps of a proper warm-up and cool-down routine that will help you take your running to the next level.

The Warm-Up
I know what you are thinking, “In the summer heat of Texas, I’ll be warmed up in no time!” The term warm-up gets misunderstood a lot of the time because of its connotation. Warm-ups should really be called preparation, because that’s what it is, preparing yourself for the run.

There are 3 main parts to a complete warm-up, easy jogging, self massage, and dynamic stretching and movement.

The first part of the warm-up is a few minutes of easy jogging. This little jog does not have a set pace and should actually start as a shuffle. The human body does so many different functions throughout the day that it needs to be alerted before you are going to impose a certain stress on it. By starting out slowly, you allow blood flow to gradually be shifted to the areas of the body that are about to be used the most when you begin the run. This is especially important if you have been sitting for a long time prior to doing your run. Use this time to also prepare yourself mentally. Allow all the stresses of life to fade away and begin thinking about the task at hand for the day’s training. Going into a workout with a good, focused mindset can really help physically when the training gets tough. Lastly, use this time to be aware of any soreness that may be lingering from a previous day’s run so that you can attend to it throughout the remainder of the warm-up.

The next step to a quality warm-up is light self massage. Running your thumbs and fingers gently along the length of muscles you are about to use is another great way to generate blood-flow and prepare them for the days task. This is also where you can spend more time attending the soreness that you have noticed during your easy jog. There are tools you can use to address this soreness and help alleviate it before the workout gets underway, but need to be used correctly in order to avoid further aggravation of the area. Ask your local running store or training group coach about Foam Roller and Trigger Point products which can assist you in the self-massage routine.

The last step in the warm-up routine is to do some more dynamic movements. Now that the blood has begun to flow into the muscles and they are warming, it is the perfect time to do some dynamic stretching and drills. Dynamic stretching is different from static stretching in that it consists of repeated motions (stretches), which are self propelled, held for shorter periods of time, and assisted only when full range of motion has been achieved. Notice, this is not the same as “bouncing” in a stretched position, which should never be done. After stretching, drills are also a good dynamic movement to do just before you begin your run. Drills not only help you prepare for the more explosive nature of a workout, but also help complete the transfer of blood flow to the muscles necessary for all of your daily runs. Examples of some good drills to try before a run are high knees, butt kicks, karaoke steps, bounds and skips. These will not only complete your warm-up, but will also help you improve your form and prevent injury.

Cool-Down
Once the run is complete, the work is not done. Taking anything from an all-go state and stopping it suddenly can be harmful. Take the time to properly cool-down after a run or workout and you will retain more of the benefits you gained during the run, decrease the soreness that follows a hard workout (allowing you to better run in the following days), and make yourself stronger without running additional miles.

There are 4 parts to a complete cool-down, strides, drills, self massage, and static stretching.

Once the run is complete and you have allowed your heart rate to lower and breathing to slow, strides of 50-100 meters should be added into your routine 2-3 days a week. Strides are meant to help you introduce a different pace to your days run, increase turn-over, and flush oxidants from your legs. A proper stride works on quick turn-over. It consists of a build to about 75% of maximum effort, and then a slow decrease of pace back down to a walk. Walk back to the starting position after each stride and make sure that your breathing is completely slowed again before starting your next stride. Each consecutive stride should only be undertaken if it can be performed at the same effort as the previous one. Do anywhere from 4-6 strides 2-3 times a week and watch your turn-over, recovery, and form all improve exponentially.

After completing your strides, remove your shoes and work on the only part of your body to actually make contact with the ground, your feet. Doing foot drills 2-3 times a week will strengthen the muscles in your feet and help prevent injury. Examples of some common foot drills are toe/heel walks, internally/externally rotated walks, and arch/outside edge walks. These should be done both forward and backwards and can be done on any surface, but softer surfaces are preferred. If you are able to do these in sand, this is the best option because it not only strengthens the best, but helps increase balance as well.

The third part of a proper cool-down is more self massage. This is a time to work more on the soreness recognized during the warm-up period as well as to attend to any new pains/tightness that may have come on during the workout. It is also a good idea to do a general massage of the area stressed most during the run to help flush antioxidants out of the muscles and decrease future soreness. When working on any area of discomfort, talk to a coach or other professional about proper technique before approaching the area, but most common pains can be treated with a few self-treated sessions.

Finally, the last step in a complete cool-down is static stretching. This can be done from the comfort of your back and should help you relax from the days training. Stretching should always be eased in to, but maintaining a static stretching routine after every run will benefit your running more than any other part of your training. Stretching after a run should be done statically, meaning each motion is repeated only a few times, but held for a long count, deepening as you go. This allows those muscles to completely relax and soak in the benefit of the training. A consistent stretching routine will also help increase stride length and flexibility which will make you a faster, healthier, more efficient runner.

Taking the short amount of time to do these small steps of a proper warm-up or cool-down will help any runner, of any ability, reach their current goals and move onto the next level running and racing. I know from experience that adding the small things into my routine made a big difference in the race results that followed.

-Darren Brown
Darren is a professional Track and Field athlete living and training in Austin. His personal best mile time is a 3:58.34. You can read more about Darren and his amazing background on his website, www.darrenbrownrunning.com