Running is considered a general developmental exercise that is required to keep the body in good shape and develop all muscle groups, as well as lose weight.
It is included in training in a wide variety of sports. Keep in mind that you also need to do a thorough warm-up before running. It will avoid most injuries and health problems.
Why warm up before running?
Before considering whether to warm up before running, you need to pay attention to how such an exercise affects the body.
The influence is as follows:
- Additional stress on the spine.
- Knee load.
- It turns out to be an increased load on the heart.
Do not forget that a proper warm-up will not protect the body from severe overload and injury. An example is the case when running is performed for heart disease. Correct stretching increases the space between the vertebrae and reduces the friction factor.
Why is the lack of a warm-up dangerous?
Warm-up allows you to warm up all muscle groups.
If it is not carried out, then there is a possibility of occurrence of the following injuries:
- Dislocations. Most often, they occur in the case of improper placement of the foot on the surface. A complex dislocation can lead to the fact that it will not be possible to play sports for a long period.
- Stretching. A sharp change in the amplitude of running causes stretching. They occur when the second breath is turned on, when the body begins to use reserves.
- High stress on the cardiovascular system. It is she who is fully involved when running.
- Joint load. It is recommended to warm up the joints before running directly, as they can be damaged by prolonged exposure.
Special exercises allow you to achieve the best result. Warm-up smoothly develops the heart, thereby eliminating the likelihood of a sudden high load.
Basic warm-up exercises
It is recommended to carry out exercises from the main warm-up, taking into account the main recommendation.
They significantly increase the effectiveness of the training:
- Warm up muscle tissue should be done from top to bottom.
- If the complex provides for stretching exercises, they should be performed without strong jerks. This is because the challenge is about stretching, not achieving a goal.
- When performing exercises related to the load on certain muscle groups, you need to constantly monitor the pulse. This eliminates the likelihood of spending a large amount of energy that is required at the time of running.
- The work associated with the cardio zone at the time of warm-up should not take more than 3-5 minutes. Otherwise, a large amount of energy will be burned.
A variety of exercises can be included in the main warm-up, all major muscle groups must be worked out.
Warm-up set of exercises before running
Each athlete independently selects a warm-up complex for the seed.
In most cases, it consists of the following exercises:
- Torso bends.
- Swings and rotations.
- Walking with leg lifts.
- Squat.
- Jumping out.
- Performing leg swings.
Only with the correct execution of all exercises can the desired result be achieved.
Swings and rotations by hands
Hand rotations and swings will work the upper part of the muscle group.
They are performed as follows:
- Legs are placed shoulder-width apart.
- Hands should be placed along the body.
- Hand rotations are performed forward and backward. Due to this, the shoulders are worked out.
- You can increase efficiency by performing swing movements. To do this, the hands rise sharply up and press against the body.
Such exercises are often included in the warm-up complex, as they allow you to work out the shoulders.
Torso bends
The above information indicates that at the time of running, a fairly large load is placed on the muscles of the abdominal cavity and the spine. That is why you need to pay attention to the study of this muscle group, for which forward bends are performed.
The exercise is done as follows:
- The initial position provides for the setting of the legs shoulder-width apart, the back should be flat. In this case, the hands are pressed against the body.
- The bends are performed alternately forward, in both directions and the back bends back a little.
Be careful when tilting the body, as too sharp jerks can cause injury.
Knee lift
At the time of running, most of the load is on the legs. That is why you need to pay attention to working out the thigh muscles. Walking with high leg lifts can be called effective.
Implementation recommendations are as follows:
- At the time of walking, the arms should be in front, the elbows bend at an angle of 90 degrees.
- With each step, the knee should touch the hand. This also forms an angle of 90 degrees.
This kind of walking is done at a slow pace, as too sharp movements can cause injury. The exercise in question should be included in all complexes, as it effectively warms up the thigh muscles.
Squats
Squats are often performed as the main exercise to increase strength and volume in the thigh muscles. However, in some cases it can be done as a warm-up.
Recommendations for performing these exercises are as follows:
- The starting position provides for setting the feet shoulder-width apart, while the heels should be pressed to the floor, it is not recommended to put pancakes.
- At the time of the squat, the back should be straight. In this case, the arms are extended forward, the heels do not come off the base.
- You need to do a deep squat, otherwise the effectiveness of the exercise will be minimal.
It is not recommended to do high repetitions, as this can lead to fatigue of the thigh and leg muscles. Therefore, long runs can cause problems.
Jumping out
For stretching, jumping out is also carried out. They are quite simple to perform, but they are suitable for preparing the body for future loads.
The recommendations for jumping out are as follows:
- Feet shoulder width apart, hands near the body.
- To make a jerk, you need to sit down a little, arms are extended forward.
- After the squat, a sharp jerk is performed, the arms are pulled up.
Such jumps are made with caution. Too strong jerks can cause injury.
Swing your legs
To increase the effectiveness of warm-ups, leg swings are performed.
They are performed as follows:
- You need to stand near a rack or other support.
- The alternate swing is performed so that the leg is extended and located at a 90 degree angle to the body.
Similar actions are also aimed at developing the thigh muscles.
Many people underestimate the importance of warm-up while running. Moreover, for the correct conduct of all exercises, you need to have some experience. Otherwise, injury may occur.