What Are the Best Exercises for Runners?
5 Best Exercises for Runners to Perform Before Their Next Run
Runners often ask me what they should do before a run. “Should I walk first? Should I go straight into running? Should I statically stretch my quads, hamstrings, adductors, calves, etc?” In this blog, we will discuss the 5 best exercises for runners to perform before their next run.
So, what makes sense from a scientific, injury prevention point of view?
Dynamically Stretch Before Your Run (don’t statically stretch)
We want to dynamically (not statically) stretch our muscles before a run. Holding a stretch for a prolonged period of time without movement actually lengthens that muscle tissue too much and won’t allow for optimal muscle fiber cross bridges to form. Those cross bridges need to form for muscles to contract. Now, don’t worry- your muscles don’t stay elongated forever. That bout of static stretching will only keep the muscle elongated for 30-60 minutes and then the fibers return to their original state of elasticity. However, dynamically stretching allows the muscles and joints to move while blood flood gets recruited to that area. Blood flow rushes to that area because you are actively engaging the muscles that allow that joint to move! We want this!
Recruit Muscles That You’re Getting Ready to Rely On Before Running
We also want to make sure that you fire up the neurons that communicate to the muscles that work the hardest while running. Which muscles are those? Well- everything needs to be recruited when you’re performing a movement as dynamic as running. But the most important muscles are your gluteals, calves, quads and core unit (transversus abdominis, obliques).
Jog First to Warm Up Before You Run at Your Desired Pace
After dynamically stretching and recruiting the right muscles, I always recommend getting into a jog. If it’s a tempo day or speed day, you can work at your easy pace for 5-10 minutes to continue to bring blood flow to the working region. This will also prime your nervous system for the physical stress that it will need to adapt to. I don’t recommend a warm up jog that is too long, though. You want to be sure that you have sufficient energy stores (glucose, glycogen, etc) to be able to perform the entire bout of your training.
My Exercise Recommendations Before Running
These are the strategies that will help you optimize your running performance and avoid injury. So, which exercises should you do? The answer will differ for everybody based on running experience, the purpose of the run, whether or not you have a formal musculoskeletal injury, etc. However, there are some exercises that work beautifully to recruit the right muscles before a run.
Below, I share my top 5 exercises to perform before a run. I recommend performing 1-2 sets of each exercise for 12-15 repetitions per set. Please be sure to perform these drills on both sides. Listen to your body and see what you feel- Are there asymmetries between sides? Does one side feel stronger than the other? Do you have more control on your right versus your left leg? Does one hip feel tighter than the other? All of this information can help guide you to prevent future running injuries.
If you or anybody you know is dealing with a running-related injury, (or nagging aches and pains while running) please feel free to reach out and consult me. I perform thorough strength and flexibility assessments, as well as treadmill running analysis to better understand the root cause of your problem. It is also critical that we discuss your running history, shoe wear, recent increases in running load, speed work, cross training, etc.
The most common running injuries include runner’s knee (PFPS), iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITB Syndrome), plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, hamstring tendinopathy, tibialis posterior tendinopathy, and many more. These are all conditions that can successfully be treated with conservative physical therapy (manual therapy and building tissue capacity).
Disclaimer: This is not intended to be formal medical advice. Your individual needs should be met by the appropriate health care practitioners. Please consult with a trusted provider.
Dr. Paul Nasri, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Game Plan Physical Therapy
