The KEY ELEMENTS OF A DYNAMIC WARM-UP:
1. Great POSTURE.
- Stand tall, like a string is attached to the top of your head gently pulling upward.
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart and pointing straight forward.
- Tighten key abdominals by pulling the bellybutton inward and rib cage downward.
- Pull the shoulders back and downward while keeping arms relaxed.
2. Fire up your GLUTES, then use them, always.
Here are two options.
[NOTE: Click on exercise names for a link to videos of the exercises.]
a. GLUTE BRIDGE. Lying on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees, keep heels on floor while pulling toes to your shins. Use your glutes to raise your hips so they are in a straight line with your knees and shoulders. Keep hips parallel to the ground. Hold for 2 seconds. Release, then repeat x 10.
b. LATERAL LUNGE. Start with great posture and your feet wider than your shoulders. From there, squat your hips down and over to the right while keeping your left leg straight. Keeping your feet flat on the ground, use your right glute to push you up to your starting position. Repeat on the left side x 10 total.
3. OPEN UP your joints and STRETCH the muscles around them.
b. HIPS AND KNEES. Try these two options:
KNEE HUGS. Standing with great posture, grab one knee with both hands and bring it up toward your chest, while maintaining balance on the lower leg by firing the glute. Release the knee and step forward with that leg. Alternate legs while stepping forward for 10 yards.
FORWARD LUNGE WITH A TWIST. Lunge forward with one leg, while keeping hips, knees, and ankles in line and hips parallel to the ground. Forward foot should be planted firmly on the ground to activate your glute. Hold that position strong while first reaching UP with the arm of your lower leg, then reach the same arm to the outside of the forward leg to get a rotational stretch. Hold stretches for 2 second each. Face forward once again and return to standing using the strength of your forward leg.
c. ANKLES AND FEET. Do the all-important Calf Raise and Calf Stretch.
This will not only warm up your calves and the muscles and ligaments of your ankles and feet but will also stretch out your plantar fascia and prepare it to take on the forces of your running stride.
CALF RAISE AND STRETCH. Either keep it simple by raising your calves up and down while standing in place OR find a wall or a large tree trunk and while facing it, stand three to four feet away with both hands on the wall. After doing a posture check, lift one leg just off the ground and raise the other calf by coming up all the way up on your toes. Hold that positon for 2 seconds then release and push the heel of that foot into the ground to get a calf stretch. Then bend the knee and continue to stretch. Repeat 10 x on each side.
4. Put it all together with some MARCHING and SKIPPING.
You’ve moved all your parts, now its time to get the heart rate even higher, and give YOU control of your movement instead of gravity.
a. Forward March. Maintaining great posture and keeping your upper body as quiet as possible, march forward by bringing each knee up one at a time. Keep your toes pulled up toward your shin and hit the ground directly beneath your body, on your midfoot, each step forward. Drive your elbows back and keep them at 90 degrees throughout the drill. 2 x 10 yards.
b. Forward Skip. Same as the march except you alternate with one foot bouncing on the ground while one hip drives up as in the march, then both feet bounce together, then the opposite leg, then both feet. Repeat. 2 x 10 yards. Or something similar, as long as you are actively changing the direction of force on the ground and getting your heart rate up while keeping great posture and opening up the hips!
THE TWO MINUTE VERSION WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS:
1. Glute Bridge OR Lateral Lunge
2. Forward Lunge with a Twist OR Knee Hugs
3. Forward Skip
You’re committed. Your mind is strong and will only get stronger. Make sure you give your body the best chance you can give it so you can do all that you’d love to do with it. Because you can!
Be great.
