Proper warm-up routines and stretching exercises are key to staying healthy when preparing for a run. In five to ten minutes, you can prepare your body for miles of running. Follow this simple routine every time your foot hits the pavement. Complete each exercise, in 15-yard intervals, twice.

Download our printable handout to follow along and view the exercises with images.


Jogging

Slow jog
  • Hip, knee and ankle should be in alignment when hitting the ground
  • Try not to cave at the knee
  • Focus on soft landings


High Knees

Bring knees up toward chest while moving in a forward direction.
  • Drive one knee up at a time, alternating with each step
  • Step, high knee right, step, high knee left, alternating arm swing with each step
  • Pump arms
  • Keep a quick tempo
  • Focus on soft landings


Butt Kicks

Snap heels up toward buttocks while moving in a forward direction.
  • Drive one heel up to butt at a time, alternating with each step
  • Pump arms
  • Keep a quick tempo
  • Focus on soft landings


Skipping

An easy skip with a relaxed upper body.
  • Step, hop right, step, hop left, alternating arm swing with each step
  • Concentrate on rhythm
  • Focus on soft landings


Cherry Pickers

Drive knee high with the opposite arm swinging high.
  • Focus on soft landings and body balance
  • Relax shoulders but use arm to generate height
  • Avoid knee caving in upon landing


Carioca

Utilizing hip muscles, alternate stepping forward and backward moving in a lateral direction.
  • Keep quick feet and knee slightly bent
  • Open hips to rotate feet around
  • Focus on soft landings
  • Relax shoulders and swing opposite the hip rotation


Twist

Focus: core muscles
  • Rotate upper body to the left as you slightly lift your right heel
  • Rotate to your right while slightly lifting your left heel


Knee Hugs

Focus: hamstrings and glutes
  • Standing upright, lift left knee to chest
  • Grab below your left knee with both hands and pull toward chest
  • Keep your chest up and perform a calf raise on opposite side
  • Hold for 3 seconds, release left knee and step forward and repeat with opposite leg
  • Repeat sequence with right knee


Hip Rotator

Focus: glutes and abductors
  • Standing upright, lift left knee to chest
  • Place both hands under your left shin
  • Pull left leg as close as you can to your chest
  • Keep chest up and perform a calf raise on opposite side


Lateral Lunge

Focus: groin and adductors
  • From a standing position with legs shoulder width apart, step out laterally to the right
  • Keep your toes pointed straight and feet flat
  • Squat by sitting back and down toward your right leg
  • Keep left leg straight and your weight on your right heel
  • Do not let right knee extend over toes
  • Return to standing position and repeat on opposite side


Inch Worm

Focus: hamstring
  • Stand with legs straight and hands on the floor
  • Keep the legs straight and walk hands out in front of you into a push up position
  • Keep back flat
  • Keeping your legs straight, walk feet toward your hands taking baby steps until feet reach your hands or you knees start to bend