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Using the right techniques like dynamic stretching, proper warm-up form, and other running warm-up exercises to reduce risk and injury
It’s hard being a runner. It’s difficult being a weight lifter. But most of all, it’s hard being a human with so much risk of injury. From over-pronation, and risk in simply walking, to issues with joint pain and muscular tension, risk of injury is always high. But beyond paying for high-expense medical treatment after the fact or avoiding certain exercises before, what can you do to reduce risk?
The often overlooked yet crucially important warm-up!
From the perfect hamstring stretch to stretching to help with blood flow, this classic technique should be used by each and every trainer out there. It’s simple – want to reduce the risk of injury?
Warm-up!
It’s often overlooked because you can go a surprisingly long time without warming up and not getting an injury, or of course, still getting an injury after warming up. Either way, it’s a school student error not to warm-up, even if feels like it’s occasionally a waste of time.
So it’d be an error of equal magnitude not to learn these basic techniques below.
Hip opener
Start with your feet hip-width apart and each leg straight. You’ll then want to bend your left leg at the knee and lift it up to your waist. Simply, rotate the knee out 90 degrees, thus forming a ‘gate.’ This is great for hip dexterity, groin stretching and other benefits.
Arm circles
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart once more and lift your arms up and out so they’re parallel to your shoulder. Make small circles with each arm for about 20 seconds, then repeat but the other way. Dynamic stretches like this are pretty easy but go a long way to reduce stitch potential and muscle tension.
Inchworm
A great warm-up routine. Start from standing, bend forward at the waist, touching your toes, and then walk those hands back to the waist and return to a standing position. Reverse the process, walking back out, to a high plank. Easy, but effective. This one should put a bit of strain on you, targeting your whole body and getting your blood flowing.
Conclusion
These are literally a few of many, many different routines. You can switch legs, use leg swings and use static stretching, either way, make sure to increase that range of motion and blood flow from stretching. It’s also best if you increase your knowledge base too. Learn more dynamic stretching exercises, better hip flexors targeters and static stretches too; you may find that certain stretches are far more beneficial than others.
FAQs
Are certain warm-ups absolutely necessary?
Some are recommended more for runners, just like squats or lunges, but most stretches are relative to your own bodily needs. If you have a problem with hips, for example, then gates could be a great answer. Never forget your pre-run warm-up.
