For the longest time I have been told that static stretching was the best way to warm-up prior to a workout.  However, over the years I have been taught that dynamic stretching is the most affective way to warm up prior to exercise in order to maximize performance and reduce injury.
 
I have come to notice that I would almost always do a dynamic stretching warm up prior to races without even realizing it, but almost never prior to a training workout.  Your warm-up will have a direct affect on your ability to perform at maximum ability.  A dynamic warm-up plays a major role in maximizing your performance levels and should be a key part of your pre-workout routine.
 
What is dynamic stretching?  Dynamic stretching are continuous movements of muscles that bring forth a stretch but are not held in the end or extended position.
 
 Key benefits of dynamic stretching versus static stretching:
1. The purpose of warming up is to prepare your muscles for you exercise routine. Dynamic stretching will increase your muscles core temperature and prepare them for the activity that lies ahead.  In contrary if you do static stretching, the muscle core temperature drops. Although your muscles may be stretched and feel loose, they will actually be less elastic and not as powerful.
 
2: Dynamic stretching will prepare your muscles in a sport specific way. While static stretching warm up may loosen up the muscles, it has no relevance to what you are actually about to perform. Whether you are preparing swim, bike or run.  Your body needs to be prepared for the intensity of whatever workout is ahead. Warming up with dynamic stretching will prepare your body for the different types of movement that your body is about to endure.
 
3: Dynamic stretching gets you mentally and physically prepared for the exercise ahead. A static stretching warm up is more relaxing and is usually best done after your exercise routine.
 
4:  Dynamic stretching helps to improve the range of motion around your joints. This will help reduce the chances of injury. Over time this will improve your performance and maximize your movements due to the increase in flexibility of your joints.  If you combine dynamic stretching and static stretching at the end of your exercise routine will greatly reduce injury and increase flexibility.
 
It is clear that dynamic stretching as part of your pre-workout routine will greatly enhance your workout and should become part of your workout routine.
 
Several examples of exercises to do as part of your dynamic workout prior to a run should include some variation of:
 
-Walking Drills

• Knee to Chest
• Lunge with a twist
• Hip Rotation
• Straight leg kick
• Arm Circles

 
-Running Drills

• Butt Kicks
• High Knees
• Skip
• Carioca
• Speed drills or cadence drill
• Bounding

 
There are little hundreds if not thousands of dynamic stretching exercises you can do to prepare yourself for your workout.  Don’t find yourself stuck on doing the same routine day in and day out.  Create a variation to your dynamic stretching warm-up that targets the exercise that is about to be performed.

​Or click on the Monthly Charts tab and it breaks down the data by both distance and time as well as shows a breakdown by percentage of time in each discipline.  

​I have had several conversations over the past few months about proper running form.  I believe that the biomechanics for each athlete maybe slightly different and therefore one method of running may not be best for all athletes.
 
I have been questioned about heel strike, mid-foot strike, or running on your toes.  Most runners are going to have some degree of a heel strike.  The lesson here is to limit the amount of heel strike through improving your stride and turn over.
 
To increase your pace per minute does not require you to lengthen your stride.  I have been told for years to run faster lengthen your stride and reach for the ground out in front of you.  This methodology lead to increased injury and more problems.  To illustrate, if you take a crutch and place the bottom of it on the ground in front of you as you walk.  What happens to the crutch?  It is driven up into your shoulder.  The same thing happens when you reach for the ground when running.  Your knees and hips take the brunt of the impact creating damage over time.  If you take that same crutch and you place it on the ground directly underneath you and continue moving forward you feel little impact on you shoulder and you begin to “fall” forward.  This is similar to how you should be running.  Your feet should hit the ground underneath the body.  You should have a natural lean forward from your feet to you shoulders.  Don’t bend forward at the waist.
 
Take a look as this photo.  The photo on the left may look as though she is running much faster than the person on the right.  I can tell you from experience, you can run fast and “look” like you are barely putting in any effort.  That’s the photo on the right.  Right photo, every time her foot strikes the ground it helps propel her forward due to her natural body lean.  Left Photo, every time her foot strikes the ground it acts as a brake and knees and hips are taking a beating with every foot strike.
 
The idea isn’t about having the perfect running form, it about improving your form to help prevent injury.  The next time before you go for a run try this running drill.
 
Speed Drill: This drill is to help increase your running cadence as well as placement of you foot under the body.  Using a quick and very short stride, strike the ground under your body with either your forefoot or mid-foot and fold the foot down to the surface from point of contact to the heel, with the heel reclining to the ground momentarily before popping up to start a new stride.  Take small steps with minimal knee lift and minimal time spent on the ground as if the surface below you is very hot.  You are shooting for a cadence of 100+ during this drill.