On Your Mark, Get Set...Let's Get Ready to WARM UP!  

Printable version.. Dynamic Warm-up

Goals of a Dynamic Warm-up:

1. Increase heart rate to get the blood pumping through the body and warm up the muscles. Because it involves continuous movement, it maintains warmth in your body and muscles. After sitting and stretching for 5 minutes your core body temperature drops.
2.  Lubricates your joints and increases joint mobility.
3.  Actively stretch your muscles to prepare them for what you'll be asking them for during the run.  Dynamic warm-ups prepare the muscles and joints in a more sport specific manner than static stretching; the movements are specific to actual running. The movements reinforce and teach the good running form movements that improve running performance.
4.  It revs up the nervous system and enhances coordination and motor ability.
    A dynamic warm-up involving plyometrics activates the neural pathways of the central nervous system in movements mimicking running movements. The plyometric exercises will help to retain the neural pathways. This is particularly important to older athletes who tend to lose neural pathways and associated fast twitch fibres due to lack of fast resistive movements in training. Hit the ground running with all systems go when the gun goes off!

Dynamic Warm up

 5-10 minutes

• Warm up with exercises for both the upper and lower extremities, addressing all major muscle groups
• Progress from low to a higher intensity
• Include all planes of motion. Start with forward and backward movements, then progress to multidirectional.
• You should feel warm and should start to break a sweat.
  
  

If you need to do any specific static stretches for particular injuries, intersperse these stretches between dynamic movements to keep your core temperature up.  Finish with a couple of dynamic exercises. 

 Dynamic Warm up Exercises:

Remember to keep good posture and think about the motions and technique of each movement.

 Bilateral Arm Swings

Stand tall, knees soft, activate your core muscles. Swing arms forward and backward at the same time. 20 reps

Bilateral Arm Swings with Squats

Continue arm swing as above. As your arms extend back, squat down, as you reach up, straighten the knees.  20 reps

Standing Twist

Stand feet shoulder width apart. Gently swing arms from side to side at shoulder height as you rotate from the feet, hips, and spine.  20 reps

Wood Chop Squat

Stand feet shoulder width apart, reach down to the left knee as you squat, reach up over right shoulder as you straighten your knees. 10 reps per side

Leg Swing

Balance on one leg, and swing the opposite leg forward and backward, simulating running.

a.)    Forward and back, 10 reps per leg

b.)    On a diagonal, 10 reps per leg

Front (Knee) Grabs

While walking forward, hug one knee into your chest, then step and repeat on the other leg, continuing with alternate legs.

a.)    20 pulling straight up

b.)    20 pulling slightly across your body

Back (Ankle) Grabs

While walking forward, reach back for one ankle, pulling heel toward your seat, then step and repeat on the other leg, continuing to alternate legs.  20 reps

Hurtle Walk

As you take each step swing your leg up and out as if stretching it over an imaginary hurdle at the side of your body.  20 reps

Lunge Walk

Do a forward lunge with each step.  20 reps

Skipping

You know...just like when you were a kid! Focus on high knees and pushing off of your big toe. 

Butt Kick Jog

Run with exaggerated knee bend such that back of lower leg kicks back of hip and heel touches your glutes

Grapevines

Run sideways to your left, cross your right foot in front of your left, then step with your left, then cross your right foot behind the left and repeat. Aim for as much hip rotation as possible and keep those feet moving fast! 20 reps each way.

Backward Run

Job backwards. 20 strides

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

On behalf of Heather Howdle, The Physiotherapist and Staff at Howdle McLean Physiotherapy regret to inform you that Heather Howdle will no longer be seeing any patients. Effective March 22nd, 2011.

Heather is confident that the outstanding care you received from her will continue with the fine physiotherapists of Howdle McLean Physiotherapy and you are encouraged to book appointments with one of them.

Thank you for your continued support of her through the years and she wishes you all the best.