TRAINING
How should I warm up before running?
Warm up with easy movement before asking your body for speed
Start with walking or gentle jogging and increase the effort gradually. A faster workout usually needs more preparation than an easy outing; the warm-up should leave you ready, not tired.
Match the preparation to the run
For a short easy outing, a gradual start may be most of the warm-up. For a session that asks you to run quickly, give yourself time to move comfortably before the first demanding repetition. Do not use the first interval as a substitute for preparation.
The sequence should also fit the setting. Arriving cold after sitting at a desk is different from arriving after a brisk walk. Rain, wind and waiting around at a start line can change how ready you feel even after you have warmed up.
An adaptable sequence
| Stage | Action | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Begin | Walk, then jog gently | Does movement feel comfortable? |
| Prepare | Use a few familiar dynamic movements if useful | Avoid forcing range or adding unfamiliar drills |
| For faster running | Add short, controlled increases in pace | Finish each feeling coordinated, not exhausted |
| Start the session | Begin below your maximum effort | Adjust if the first repetition feels wrong |
There is no compulsory stopwatch total in this example. A beginner can use walking; an experienced runner preparing for fast work may need a longer progression. Do not copy an elaborate routine just because a faster runner uses it.
Keep stretching separate from readiness
A stretching routine and a running warm-up are not the same task. Holding a position does not rehearse how the opening minutes of your run will feel. If you use mobility movements, keep them familiar and comfortable rather than pushing aggressively into a new range.
Choose the simplest routine that prepares you for the session. You do not need a collection of difficult drills to earn the right to run. If a movement repeatedly hurts, leave it out and seek advice instead of trying to force it into a standard checklist.
Use the first minutes as information
Check whether you are unusually breathless, stiff or uncomfortable. Sometimes the right result of a warm-up is changing the plan. If an intended faster session feels wrong even at easy effort, replace or postpone the demanding part.
A warm-up cannot make an injury disappear or guarantee that a workout is safe. Sharp or worsening pain, dizziness or other concerning symptoms are not invitations to keep warming up until a target pace becomes possible.
Separate the warm-up when reading your data
Including the easy opening minutes in a whole-run average lowers the average speed. That is expected. It does not mean the main session was slower than intended. Similarly, the early rise in heart rate can distort a comparison between the first and second halves.
In Runome, inspect the pace and heart-rate streams where available before judging the session average. Read how warm-up minutes affect drift and how to review interval work. The practical win is a routine you can repeat and recognize in your history, not a perfect-looking warm-up graph.