Athletes know that a proper warm-up is critical to staying injury-free. But some traditional stretches have fallen out of favor among fitness experts, according to Simran Ahluwalia, a personal trainer at Equinox. So, to get prepared to run, Ahluwalia recommends a series of dynamic exercises that get the heart pumping and optimize performance.
"These get blood flow to specific areas that are going to be used and warm up core temperature, which is very important," said Ahluwalia, who's certified by the American Council on Exercise. {bull} Just as important? Proper cool-down exercises, which keep blood from pooling in the extremities after a workout and help clear lactic acid, which can cause muscle soreness.
We asked Ahluwalia to demonstrate and describe her favorite warm-up and cool-down moves, so you can get moving safely.
Body-weight squats. "You just use your own body weight," Ahluwalia said, "and you work your legs, glutes, and hamstrings." Stand with your hands on your hips, squat to a 90 degree angle, and keep heels on the ground. If you can't tolerate that deep a knee bend, less is fine. Do 20 repetitions.
Lunge with overhead reach. Start with hands on hips. Lunge forward with your right leg and reach with your hands overhead. (Don't lunge too far. You'll want to make sure your toes are behind the knees.) Take it slow. Repeat, lunging with the left leg. Do 20 reps - 10 per side.
Glute kicks. Also known as "butt kicks." Walk or run forward so that your heel touches your rear end. This helps stretch the quadriceps (the large muscles on the fronts of your thighs) and activates hamstrings on the back of the thighs.
High-knee steps. Run forward on the balls of your feet and raising knees to hip level with each step. Use your arms - bent at 90 degree angles - to support the movement. Run 15 yards, about 20 steps. "The point is really to get the blood flowing to those legs," Ahluwalia said. Follow with 5 minutes of walking or light jogging, depending on your fitness level. Now you're ready for your run.
Calf stretch. After running, it's important to walk or jog for 5 minutes to let your heart return to its resting rate and let your body begin to cool down. Then follow with gentle stretches. First, put your hands against a wall. Put weight on right foot, left foot behind. Bend right knee and keep left straight. Push palms against the wall. Hold for 20 seconds. Then reverse. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.
Hamstring stretch. Sit on the floor with legs straight in front of you. Point toes up and reach hands toward feet. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.
Knees to chest stretch. Lie on your back and bring both knees up to your chest. Hold with your hands. Hold for 20 seconds and relax. Repeat 2-3 times.
Piriformis stretch. Lie on your back and bring your left knee toward your chest. Grab knee with your right hand and gently pull knee toward your right shoulder. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with the opposite leg. Do 2-3 times per side.
Quadriceps stretch. Stand next to a wall for balance. Hold leg at the outside of the ankle and gently pull heel toward glutes. Be sure to maintain straight posture. Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat with other leg. Do 2-3 times per side.
