Key active warm-ups for your next run
Running, as a collective sport and passion, is a regular source of clashing ideologies and approaches to training, but one observation has generally endured across runners and coaches of all experience levels: active warm-ups almost always trump static stretches as an effective means of pre-run preparation. Also called dynamic warm-ups and drills, these exercises enrich the body through light motions aimed at key running muscle groups, ensuring that runners are loose and less prone to overuse injuries.
If you are new to active warm-ups, here are a few basic, yet crucial exercises to get you started.
Striders are about as easy as it gets with active warm ups. Simply pick a straightaway and stride to the end, making sure to stretch your legs out with each step. This exercise not only helps with running form, it generally helps flush out sore legs and increase speed for last minute kicks.
The A skip technique essentially merges high knees with basic skipping form, resulting in a series of quick burst drills that help to loosen the hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes. The exercise helps runners get into a lighter, more nimble state of mind, exaggerating the running motion to make the actual run or race feel less taxing on the legs.
Butt kicks are self-explanatory in execution, but their effectiveness and purpose in running preparation has been a topic of debate in recent years. Generally, the exercise has been found to condition the legs for a running-based range of motion while also helping to strengthen and loosen up the hamstrings and glute muscles.
Not to be confused with its weight-based counterpart, the single leg deadlift stretch follows a similar motion, but is focused primarily on loosening and conditioning the hamstrings. Focus on going down as far as you can while maintaining your balance, trying to do a stretch with about every other step.
Like striders, leg swings are fairly easy to execute; simply find a wall, establish balance, and swing your leg out in a lateral motion, keeping it as straight as possible in the process. This exercise will do wonders for tight iliotibial bands, glutes, and quads; they are perhaps one of the most popular active warm-ups due to their simplicity and their convenience (they can be completed almost anywhere).
How Visualization Techniques Can Improve Running
As I explored in a previous blog, mindful thought has been increasingly linked to stronger running performance (and sports-based performance in general), and this notion is unsurprising, given the common observation that running is 90 percent mental.
It is true; thoughts and emotions play a significant part in a run or race — in most cases, as we are toeing the threshold between finishing and quitting — and that said, if you find that you are deficient in this regard, it is important to shore up your thought process sooner than later. Otherwise, you may find yourself getting frustrated and even disillusioned to running as a whole.
Visualization is a great avenue for both mental run or race preparation and for general mental muscle memory, so to speak — the process of embracing a negative thought or emotion, then allowing it to fade away in favor of a mantra or repeated positive impulse.
Knowing the course
It is probably easiest to visualize a run or race when you have a clear mental picture of the course. Maybe this is a consistently challenging loop that you like to do on the weekends, or perhaps it is an annual 5k course on which you hope to run a new personal record. Whatever the case, take time to find a quiet location, relax into your breath, and imagine the course from start to finish; walk yourself through it, simulate how it will feel when the run or race begins — the sound of the starting gun, the cheer of spectators, the pulse of adrenaline that sometimes accompanies the first beep of your watch. Going through these motions now will only make them easier to process in the moment; put simply, if you keep telling yourself you can do it, you will eventually believe it.
Knowing what scares you
Typically, we turn to running-based visualization when we are nervous about an aspect of an upcoming run or race. You might be aware of a particularly painful hill in the latter half of the course, or maybe the mere concept of competition frazzles you from the start. At times, weather can also contribute to these feelings — usually extreme cold or hot conditions.
Like the previous section, use visualization to construct these elements or obstacles before they are even in front of you. If needed, exaggerate your thoughts so they fit a worse case scenario (just make sure to avoid psyching yourself out), and determine how you would handle yourself in this state, let alone a milder one. This process will usually harden you to these potentially nightmarish aspects, and in the end you may find that they were not worth the stress to begin with.
Debunking Three Myths About Running Injuries
Injuries are an unfortunate, albeit common, part of distance running; they stem from an almost countless list of factors, from muscular imbalances to improper footwear. Regardless of the reason, an injury can be both physically painful and mentally draining as you struggle to re-evaluate and get back to the roads.
Most running injuries require specific care to promote quick and effective healing. Unfortunately, due to an equally vast number of factors, many of these methods have become misconstrued over the years, leading to a variety of myths and misconceptions.
That said, here are answers to three common running injury myths.
Myth: “You can run through any injury”
Running through an injury is almost never a good idea. If you are experiencing pain in otherwise normal running scenarios, your body is probably trying to tell you to stop. In time you may be able to ease back into shorter runs as your injury continues to heal, but the best rule of thumb is to stop, figure out what is wrong, and identify how to treat it before simply trudging through and pretending everything is fine.
Myth: “Stretch before a run to reduce the risk of injury”
Parts of this myth are technically true, but too often its wording is misunderstood. Active stretches — such as high knees, butt kicks, and A skips — are, in fact, effective in both warming up the legs and reducing the chance of biomechanical injury. However, static stretches — like toe touches and quad pulls — are typically not associated with such preemptive benefits (though they are not necessarily linked to an increase in injury risk). Your time will be better spent enacting the former.
Myth: “Just stop running and wait — the injury will go away on its own”
While most running injuries demand physical rest, just as many will require more than rest alone to fully heal. Inflammation-based injuries, for instance, will typically need to be treated with the R.I.C.E method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation), a four-part regimen in which rest is only one broad component. To know if you must do more, consult your physical therapist or similar medical professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
About Allen Curreri
Dr. Allen Curreri lives in Mason, Ohio. He is a clinical research expert with decades of professional experience. He is a talented professional with versatile experience, but foremost, he is a community member.
Allen Curreri has been working as the Principal Investigator and Senior Medical Writer at a clinical research group. He joined the company in 2017.
He is responsible for writing and collaborating on various medical device and pharmaceutical writing projects, such as CTDs, protocol amendments, and briefing documents. He enjoys his role mentoring and managing junior medical writers.
Responsible for reviewing the clinical data of new medical devices and therapeutic drugs, he then prepares documents for submission to the FDA. His expertise in various therapeutic areas, such as oncology, orthopedics, and cardiovascular, makes him an ideal fit for his position.
Besides his commitment to his important work, Allen considers it a personal responsibility and a privilege to serve his community in every way possible. Plus, Allen knows how to have fun getting his hands dirty for a good cause! As a family man, he is particularly drawn to the work of United Way, where he has been a loyal volunteer for over fifteen years and counting. With United Way, Allen focuses on creating self-sustaining progress and strong communities. The mission? Filling the most vital gaps and providing for the most fundamental unmet needs: health, income, and education.
A long-time running and marathon enthusiast, you can often find Allen on the paths and tracks around his home, training for his next challenge. Nothing is more satisfying than taking care of yourself while working for others. Allen Curreri believes in getting out on the streets and running for a good cause in fundraisers and charity marathons.
Career Background
In 2017, Allen Curreri’s presentation was selected for presentation at the 2017 Annual Conference by the Academy of Management (AOM) – his topic was Mindfulness, Information Technology Use, and Physicians’ Performance in Emergency Rooms. Allen also maintains professional membership with multiple organizations, including the Medical Affairs Professional Society, the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, the Society of Clinical Research Associates, and the Clinical Research Society, as well as the American Medical Writers Association and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.
As a Clinical Research Expert, Allen Curreri has established expertise in multiple areas; these areas of skill include complex data analytics, literature review, clinical research management, clinical trial management, writing project management, regulatory affairs, regulatory writing, and medical writing. He holds his Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University, his MBA from Georgia Southern University, and his Bachelor’s Degree from Dalton State College.