How to warm up before a run — How To

How to warm up before a run

For new and returning runners who want loose muscles and an easier first mile.

IJR · Sep 26, 2026 · 2 min read

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Every move sends blood into the muscles and opens the joints you will load on the run.

Lace your shoes, clear a twenty-foot path or quiet corner, and keep a wall within reach for balance.

1: WALK at conversational pace for two full minutes: keep each stride under two feet long and arms loose at your sides. — **1: WALK** at conversational pace for two full minutes: keep each stride under two feet long and arms loose at your sides.

Breathe steady through nose and mouth. You feel heat building in your thighs and calves. If you finish still cool, add thirty more seconds of the same pace.

2: SWING one leg twenty times front to back: brace one hand on a wall at shoulder height and keep the torso upright. — **2: SWING** one leg twenty times front to back: brace one hand on a wall at shoulder height and keep the torso upright.

Let the leg pendulum from the hip with a soft knee. You hear the soft brush of legging fabric on each pass. If the lower back arches, shrink the swing arc by one foot.

3: CIRCLE both arms ten times forward then ten times back: plant feet shoulder-width apart and draw full loops. — **3: CIRCLE** both arms ten times forward then ten times back: plant feet shoulder-width apart and draw full loops.

Grow the circles until hands reach past the hips. You see fingertips pass your ears on every loop. If elbows bend past a right angle, straighten them and shrink the circle six inches.

4: DRIVE each knee to hip height for thirty total steps: bounce lightly on the balls of your feet while pumping the opposite arm. — **4: DRIVE** each knee to hip height for thirty total steps: bounce lightly on the balls of your feet while pumping the opposite arm.

Land soft and stay tall. You feel the core tighten with every lift. If a knee stops below the hip crease, pause, stand straight, and resume at a slower bounce.

5: KICK heels up toward the glutes for thirty steps: keep thighs nearly vertical and jog lightly in place. — **5: KICK** heels up toward the glutes for thirty steps: keep thighs nearly vertical and jog lightly in place.

Use quick short snaps, not long strides. You hear a light pat when the shoe meets the back of the legging. If you tip forward, slow the cadence and fix your eyes on a spot twenty feet ahead.

The most common mistake

Runners often skip straight into goal pace. Finish every move first so the muscles are already warm.

Pro tip

Count each set of twenty or thirty out loud to lock the rhythm before you start the run.

Say it every time

Loose walk, free pendulum, wide loops, high bounce, quick pats

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The most common mistake

Pro tip

Say it every time

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