Warming up for running from 5 to 10 minutes is very important to avoid injuries and develop your full potential during training. An inappropriate warm-up is often tied to slower training, and since you’re typically only going to run twice a week, you need to make the most of every opportunity you get to train.

A good warm up should include the following:

• Movement of the body in the three planes
• joint mobility
• Light jogging to improve aerobic functions
• Short and fast races

Movement of the body in the three planes

Human movement can be described with only three planes of motion. The sagittal plane is the plane that, being perpendicular to the ground, passes exactly through the middle of your body, dividing it into two equal parts, right and left.

The transverse plane is that plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, and it contains the movement of your waist and shoulders when you run. For example, when you raise your right knee during a lunge, your left arm rises as well. At this time your hips are slightly oriented to the left, while your shoulders are slightly oriented to the right. In this way, there is an oscillation between your shoulders and your hip during the race. Unlike golf where the hips and shoulders move in the same direction, when you run the shoulder-hip swing rotates in opposite directions.

The third plane of movement is the frontal plane, which describes movement from side to side. You can imagine this plane following the movement you make when you do a cartwheel or jumping jack.

Knowing the three planes of movement is important for running warm-ups of between 5 and 10 minutes as it will allow you to avoid injuries during training. Many athletes start running after being active in other sports. However, in many of these sports the sagittal plane is not used as it is during running. It is for this reason that running injuries are so common.

The stride matrix

Our first goal is to warm up as many muscle groups before starting training. How do we do this? The stride matrix is the best way to get your body moving in all three planes of motion.

The Stride Matrix is based on the work of physical therapist Gary Gray. The goal is to perform five different types of strides, doing five repetitions on each leg – 50 strides total. This exercise should take you about three minutes after you’ve learned it.

This warm-up significantly helps to reduce injuries, although some coaches think that it is not. The stride matrix is the first activity you should do before stepping on the treadmill or taking your first step during your run.

Will I have shoelaces? For sure yes. The first week after doing this exercise every day you will have soreness, but it won’t last long and hopefully by the second or third week you won’t feel it. After a couple of months doing the stride matrix during your 5-10 minute running warmup, you’ll find that you’re not ready to run if you haven’t done your 50 strides before you start. Many athletes who follow this warm-up routine will not only do the stride matrix before every workout, but before any race as well.

Thrash

The next warm-up exercise, which will take you 90 seconds, is the leg movement. These exercises focus on the hip joints, which obviously have a very important role in warming up for running. Having good hip mobility is essential to avoid injury. Surely you already know it, but if not, you can see the Myrtl routine, which is based on strength and mobility exercises.

In the same way as with the stride matrix, there are five exercises for swinging legs:

• Linear movement with straight leg (8 repetitions)
• Lateral movement (8 repetitions)
• Forward hurdle leg movement (5 reps)
• Back Hurdle Leg Movement (5 reps)
• Leg movement with knee flexion (5 repetitions)

These exercises do a very good job of improving the joints in your hips. Again, athletes feel much better after doing them, especially if they’ve been sitting all day or driving. You can do these exercises after the stride matrix but make sure you do them before you start training. The stride matrix and leg movements will take you less than 5 minutes, so don’t look for excuses not to do them in your 5 and 10 minute running warmup.

Jogging warm-up for running

At this point, the vision of what a good warm-up is can vary depending on the type of training. While some trainers recommend doing a sprint or jog before you start training, you don’t need to run 20 minutes before you start. The most normal thing is to run about 10 minutes of light running at low intensity before starting, and then do a series of skipping exercises (also called dynamic warm-up). This will help you with any high intensity training you want to do afterwards.

Remember: the main reason to warm up is to increase your core temperature, since the aerobic enzymes in your body are more efficient in a hot environment. Once you reach this point, it’s important to start running warm-ups as you get closer to the start of your workout. You can do 4 sets of skipping exercises keeping your knees low while you run and alternate this exercise with low intensity running. Changing between one and the other every 50 meters.

This is just an example of dynamic exercises that you can perform in three to four minutes at the end of your warm-up routine, it doesn’t always have to be skipping, but it does have to use all the muscle groups in your body. You will see that you will feel better, your heart rate will rise and you will be ready for the last part of your running warm-up routine before running: the short race

Short run

The key to the sprint is simple: it has to be done at a faster pace than you’re going to use when you start training.

Imagine that your coach has told you to do a 15 x 400m workout at a 5K pace. To do that first 400m series, you’ll need to do a short sprint of, say, 100m at a higher pace than you would when running a 5K.

You may not feel very good doing your first 100 meter sprint, so it is recommended that you do 4 or 5 series, each time faster. The last one in this case should be faster than the one you will run at 5K pace.

The reason you want to do faster sprints is that the neuromuscular system needs to be stressed in order for you to feel capable of doing the training that comes after. During your 5 and 10 minute running warmup you want to have as many fast twitch and muscle fibers available. This will not happen during the first repetition of the workout, and is precisely why you want to increase the intensity in the last part of the running warmup and be ready for training.

Recovery between sprints should be short since you’re only running 100 meters at 5K pace (for this example). One way to measure recovery is to run 100m on the straights of a circuit, walk through the turn, and run 100m again on the next straight. You can run longer distances like 150m and even 200m, although normally 100m is enough to prepare most runners before training.

It sounds like a lot, but when you compare the typical 20-minute run and some sprints, this running warmup takes just as long and has better results.

As always, don’t forget that to get results you must maintain the frequency of your workouts with their corresponding warm-ups without forgetting the stretching after running.

For any running addict, performing a good warm-up before running is key to being able to continue adding kilometers avoiding discomfort and injuries, however it is frequently forgotten by both novice and experienced athletes. We are going to break down this issue, explaining why to do it, how to warm up before running and our vision of dynamic stretching before or apart from running.

Why should we warm up before running?

Warming up for athletics is the best way to avoid injuries and discomfort typical of runners such as overloads, patellar tendonitis or plantar fasciitis, which can make life miserable for the most experienced runner. It is important to keep in mind that warming up should be mandatory whether we are going to do general or specific training. However, it must be borne in mind that having a good technique is just as vital to running without injuries, no matter how much you execute your warm-up table before running perfectly, poor technique will very often lead to injuries.

What is general warming?

The definition of the general warm-up is a set of muscle and joint exercises, ordered gradually in order to prepare the body for better physical performance and avoid any type of muscle contraction or physical injury.

The sports warm-up usually consists of a set of exercises that produce an increase in body temperature, especially the exercises that will be affected during sports practice.

What is specific heating?

The specific warm-up is defined as the one that is always done after the general warm-up and consists of exercises focused on the activity that we are going to carry out. The objective is to prepare the body for the preparation of a specific activity and deals with preparing certain parts of the body in a timely manner.

For example, whether we want to warm up before running or warm up to play soccer, we must focus on the technical gesture that we are going to perform, whether it is the run itself or kicking the ball.

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How to execute it: phases of the general warm-up

These exercises for general warm-up must always be carried out no matter what training we do. We shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to do all the parts of the general warm-up that we propose.

1. Gentle jogging as a general activation of the organism, between 3 and 5 minutes.
2. General joint mobility warm-up in which we warm up the different body segments. It is usually done in an ascending order (ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders) or vice versa.
3. Dynamic displacements with which we mobilize different muscle groups, are key to warming up before running, the most common are lateral running, crossing legs, raising the heels, raising the knees… but there are many.
4. Stretching There is a lot of controversy about whether stretching fits into the general warm-up or at another time away from training, but we consider it appropriate to comment on it. It is important not to get into pain or make sudden movements to maximize the benefits and avoid injuries.

How to do it: specific athletics warm-up

There is a warm-up for each discipline that we can practice, although in many cases they are similar. A general soccer warm-up should not be very different from a running warm-up since the base is the lower body in both cases.

Within athletics, there are different types of training that require different general and specific warm-ups. For example, in the event that the training is a running at a constant pace, the general and specific warm-up coincide. It is important not to forget that we are not training yet and to control the intensity of the warm-up.

In the event that we are going to train by intervals or similar, the warm-up exercises before running become different as the demand changes. In this case we are interested in a warm-up in which we are doing short series increasing the intensity to raise the lactate peaks little by little. The upper body also comes into play more than in continuous running, so we must add exercises to warm up before running that involve the upper body from all planes and axes that each joint has.

Finally, if we are going to do speed training, such as 100 or 200 meter dash, we recommend other warm-up exercises for speed. In this case, after the general warm-up we opted for activations and drills with exercises such as knee lifts, heel lifts, skips, cariocas or crossed displacements. Subsequently, to finish the warm-up before running, we will do some series of progressive strides in an interval of 50-100 meters in which we increase the intensity, always below maximum effort.

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How long should the track and field warm-up routine last?

There is an unwritten rule of thumb, the shorter the workout, the longer the warm-up should be. This is because the intensity increases as the distance of the race decreases. For example, in the case of a marathon, you could even warm up as you go in the race, but if you are going to do a short 4 or 5 kilometer race, when you reach your optimal point the race will already be over.

Normally for a 5k race, the warm up goes up to 45 minutes. If it is a distance of 10k, the warm-up exercises to run it usually last half an hour. In the case of a marathon, carrying out a specific resistance warm-up is sufficient and lasts around 10 minutes.

Same warm-up for running a race as for training?

The main difference is that in a race the main variable we play with is the duration of the race, while in training time is less important.

However, in the end, the warm-up exercises for running are the same: jogging, stretching, drills and strides will be present in our warm-up before running, whether for a race or for ordinary training.

Well, I’ve already warmed up and trained, now what?

In the same way that we perform a specific athletics warm-up to prepare our body for an effort, once it is over, it is just as interesting to prepare our body to calm down again. Cooling down is defined as the process after a physical effort and whose objective is to restore resting metabolic and neuromuscular values.

In contrast to the specific athletics warm-up, the cool-down is practically the same no matter what training you have done. The main objectives pursued are:

– Normalize organic functions and homeostatic balance.

– Restore the energetic sustats and overcompensate the organism.

– Restore cellular structural elements and enzymatic systems.

The cooling or cool-down is usually carried out in two phases:

– An initial phase in which the exercise continues but at a lower intensity. In the case of athletics training, you can walk or jog more and more slowly.

– A final phase in which the same warm-up exercises are performed to run static stretching of each muscle group, 2-3 times between 15 and 30 seconds long.

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conclusions

A good warm-up before running is key to progress without discomfort or injury. What’s more, if we skip this part of the training, injuries are practically guaranteed.

Never forget to do your general warm-up and the exercises that make up the specific warm-up for your discipline. The speed-specific warm-up is not the same as a track-and-field warm-up when you do a test, although the running warm-ups are the same, the execution is different.

In the event that we are going to run a test, the distance will determine the duration of the warm-up and, just as important as the warm-up, is the return to calm once we have finished training.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile, video-based social network for athletes who train strength or bodyweight exercises. At Fitenium users can follow their performance, compete and get discounts in nutrition and sports equipment stores. Download it here.

One of the goals with which the New Year approaches and that never fails for the most sedentary is to get everyone in shape and, perhaps most commonly, to start doing. It requires them to have the right shoes and we can do it anytime, anywhere.

If your goal is to start running this New Year’s Eve, or if you want to get motivated by giving someone a gift this Christmas, check out Garmin’s newest release, the Forerunner 30. This is a simple watch, but with more important features (optical wrist monitor, integrated GPS) for those who want to start.

The new Garmin Forerunner 30 monitors our physical activity throughout the day and provides data on steps, calories burned, and distance traveled. It also monitors sleep and monitors your heart rate for 24 hours.

As for sports, this new device records distance, speed, pace, route, and heart rate during exercise thanks to an optical pulse reader as you go for a run with built-in GPS. Our data and stats are automatically uploaded to the Garmin Connect app.

The Garmin Forerunner 30 also connects to your phone to receive basic notifications and monitor your fitness by calculating your maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2max.

The price is €149.99 on the Garmin website and it is now available in 3 colors.

As you can see, this is a very simple device, perfect for those who need to get going and have few technical needs at the moment.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile, video-based social network for athletes who train strength or bodyweight exercises. At Fitenium users can follow their performance, compete and get discounts in nutrition and sports equipment stores. Download it here.

If you are a runner, track runner, cyclist or triathlonist, this may be of interest to you. A few weeks ago I was able to test the latest Garmin accessories for these sports. Today we talk about the characteristics of the most interesting accessories for outdoor sports.

From flashlights that automatically adjust light intensity and angle to ambient conditions, to multisport watches with mapping that let you upload bike and run routes right from your mobile phone. These are the Garmin sports accessories that will help you get the most out of your training.

GPS Edge 820

A small but powerful bike GPS. With a high-resolution screen and easy-to-operate touch screen, different routes can be easily loaded and tracked (up to 100 routes in memory). When the route is loaded, it alerts you to different directions and interesting information like travel speed and smart notifications.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the Edge 820 is its group track. When you connect to your mobile phone, your training partners have GPS and you can see on the screen where each one is whenever they are connected. 2 Every moment of training. It was very useful at a time of cycling activity, where we divided into two groups, we followed different routes and arrived at the same point. You can always see where your friends are on your screen.

Its price is €399.99.

The flashlights Varia UT800

Another very interesting accessory for outdoor cycling is this smart headlamp that automatically adapts to the ambient light conditions of your training environment. To do this, both the intensity of the light (up to 800 lumens) and its slope can be adjusted automatically, depending on the speed and profile of the route. You only have to worry about charging the battery. In full power mode, it can see sunlight at a distance of more than 1.6 km.

Above all, both facing the road while riding and making yourself visible to other cyclists and drivers while on the road are interesting safety factors.

Its price is €169.99

inReach Explorer

inReach Explorer was the device that surprised me the most out of all the ones they showed me. I couldn’t test it, but it was a very interesting mountain safety factor. It is a GPS navigation and satellite communication device that you can access anywhere your mobile phone is out of reach, wherever you are. In the absence of coverage, it works with a global Iridium radar network that stays connected via SMS and, in risky situations, can also send an interactive help signal to your location. Obviously, this device is aimed at athletes who tend to be “off the map” rather than urban runners, but it would be very useful in an emergency.

Apart from this, it allows you to connect with your mobile and download maps, routes and aerial photos of all the places you go to. By linking it to your mobile phone, you can even track your activity in real time from home, for example, so your family and friends always know where you are.

Its price is €499.99.

Phoenix 5X

Above all, the highest watch in the Phoenix family for outdoor athletes. With its built-in wrist-based GPS and heart rate monitor, which already made its first impression on Xataka, this wristwatch offers a wide range of sports including running, trail running, swimming, jogging, swimming, triathlon, snowboarding, skiing. and more.

The most interesting thing about this watch is undoubtedly its map: the watch offers a route from where we are and a round trip route of a selected length, giving us our own route (or one that we like best) You can also load wikiloc. Like the Edge 820, it also has a group track, and with training effects technology, it provides comprehensive analysis of all training sessions.

Managing your watch is as easy as using any Garmin watch with its buttons (it can get a bit overlooked due to the lack of a touch screen). We use it for swim race activity (combination of running and swimming), trail running, quantizing and fully marking the route. It makes more sense to use the map, with a watch specially indicated for use in the mountains.

Its price is €899.99.

Virb Ultra 360

I didn’t get to test the Virb Ultra 360, but the technology it uses is worth learning about. It is a camera that records 360-degree images and sounds, and has a 4K spherical stabilization function, which provides a more stable recording even when practicing sports such as mountain biking and skiing. One advantage is that it is voice controlled and can be controlled from a distance or without letting go of the bike’s handlebars.

Another advantage of this camera is that you can edit the video from your mobile phone through the VIRB Mobile application without going through the computer that contains the training indicators. When connected to iPhone or iPad, it has WIFI and Bluetooth connection and live view mode.

Its price is €799.99.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile, video-based social network for athletes who train strength or bodyweight exercises. At Fitenium users can follow their performance, compete and get discounts in nutrition and sports equipment stores. Download it here.

Doing sports on a regular basis is extremely healthy for both our body and our mental health. Going for a run, without going any further, helps improve the state of our memory.

However, in some cases runners are accused of causing certain “addictions” that can affect them. It is almost believed that some runners can be considered addicted to running which can affect your personal and professional life and is already called runnorexia.

The first thing to remember is that there is no clinical manual for which runnorexia is classified or present as an addiction. In this sense, it is similar to what is known as addiction to work or addiction to shopping. They do not follow the same mechanism as drug addiction -it does not affect them at the same level- but they can affect our well-being and our quality of life.

As for the practice of “addiction”, very little research has been done on this point at this point, and what does exist refers not only to the practice but also to addiction to sport in general. These studies indicate that around 18% of people who regularly practice sports have a particular addiction to sport, especially in the case of aerobic exercise.

The factors associated with this situation refer to physical and environmental variables. In the case of physical variables, the joy produced by the release of endorphins can affect the improvement. In the case of environmental variables, the social and personal image of the athlete influences the mechanism that leads to addiction.

Some have an athlete role, play a particularly important role in refining an individual’s identity, and have a certain level of anxiety. These people may feel that their value as athletes also determines their value as humans and as humans. If they fail as an athlete or runner, they also feel like they are failing as a person.

This can, above all, lead you to the feeling that you need to go for a run or play sports, not feel guilty or follow an obsessive-compulsive behavior that is not enough. There is. These same mechanisms can affect people who are absorbed in other things, such as work. As a result, it affects your social life, your work, and your mental health.

The recommendations in these cases are for those who see normal life affected and obstructed by obsessive-compulsive sport to manage the processes that are affecting the discomfort and the use of sport. It means that you can ask for help from a mental health professional to provide you with the right tools.

Quantifying a bracelet is always a good motivator for everyone who wants to be healthy and start exercising. As we have said many times, “We cannot improve anything that is not quantified”. Knowing the number of daily trips (usually small) helps us to be willing to move a little.

If you don’t already know Fitenium is a free, mobile and video-based social network for users who train strength and/or body weight exercises. At Fitenium users can find free personalized routines, follow their performance, compete and get discounts at nutrition stores and sports equipment. Download it here.

To take the first step in the configuration, Garmin has introduced the new Garmin Vivofit 4 measurement bracelet. With more than a year of autonomy without the need to charge the device, the new Garmin bracelet also has a screen (now in full color) and its features.

Like its predecessor, the Garrmin Vivofit 4 can be worn throughout the day (in the shower for pool activities) and can quantify sleep at night.

The new Vivofit 4 Move IQ technology not only recognizes the exercise you’re doing (walking, running, elliptical, cycling, swimming) when you start running, it also starts the timer for walking and running. It runs automatically as soon as they’re detected, so you know how long you’ve spent training without having to manually stop to activate the feature.

One of the most motivating ways to start our day-to-day movement is the fact of competing with others. To do this, you have two options on the G Armin Vivofit 4. The first is the Garmin Connect community, where the bracelets are automatically synchronized, which you can see from the official application. The other, and perhaps more interesting, is the option to connect the bracelet to the Vivofit Jr. 2 smallest in the house or another Vivofit 4, which allows timing thanks to the Toe-to-Toe function. The step competition begins. A fun way to make your day more enjoyable and motivate young children to participate in exercise.

Garmin Vivofit 4 is available on the official Garmin website for a price of €79.99.