If you’re a regular runner, you know the importance of warming up before you go out. Warming up allows your muscles and body to wake up. The stretching and light activities help your body get used to being active. The benefits you receive from a good, 10-minute warm-up are exponential. From there, you can go for longer and more fulfilling runs. Your warm-up doesn’t have to be limited to jumping jacks, lunges, and other basic stretches. Here are four unique warm-ups you can incorporate into your running routine to spice things up.
1. Shooting Hoops
If you like basketball, you might consider adding it to your running routine. Start slow with stationary baskets and then incorporate light movement. As a pre-run warm-up, basketball is beneficial for multiple reasons.
You stretch your legs, arms, and back while you’re shooting. Plus, the light sweat is essential to get your heart rate up.
The other benefit is that it’s easy to make basketball part of your routine! No gym membership is required. Visit your local park and run from there. According to https://ironcityshowdown.com/best-basketball-hoop/backyard/, you can also find an affordable at-home hoop.
2. Swimming
If you have access to a pool or body of water, swimming is a wonderful warm-up. When you’re swimming, you stretch every muscle group without the pressure of gravity working against you. Do a couple of laps around the pool. From there, you can get out, dry off lightly, and go for your run.
Swimming allows you to increase your heart rate and loosen your body without adding any additional strain. Plus, you build up strength and endurance from doing laps. If you don’t have access to a pool in your home, look into public pools. You can also see if there’s a lake or ocean you can swim in.
3. Dancing
Everyone loves popping on their favorite Spotify playlist, record, or mixtape and jamming out. Maybe you have a playlist that you listen to while you’re running. Well, it’s time for you to bust out your jams playlist and do your warm-up. Dancing is a wonderful and simple way to stretch your body and raise your heart rate without straining too much.
You can choose whether you want to dance to 3 songs or 10, but the most important factor is that you have fun while you’re doing it.
4. Yoga
If you want to ensure that all your muscles get attention before you go for a run, yoga is a great warm-up. Yoga encourages you to focus on your breathing as you stretch in poses. You can either look on YouTube for running-specific yoga videos, do a flow by yourself, or choose a video that’s focused on the legs and back.
Whatever you end up decided, make sure that your flow is at least ten minutes. You want to make sure that your muscles are warm and your breathing is level. Yoga can help you build good breathing techniques that will allow you to run faster and for longer.
What’s Your Favorite Pre-Run Warm Up?
The four warm-ups listed above are the tip of the iceberg. You can choose from a range of simple exercises to energize your body before you run. The pre-run routine is essential to maintain your health, strength, and endurance while you’re out. There are many unique ways to get your heart racing and your muscles loose for your run. Don’t shy away from mixing up your warm-up routine and find what feels good for your body, lifestyle, and exercise goals. Get out there and try these stimulating warm-ups!