Warm-Up Before Running: A 10-Minute Routine
A 10-minute warm-up before running, with timings and order: walk, dynamic mobility and an easy jog. Includes variations for each run.
In this article
A 10-minute warm-up for running can be organized in three blocks: 2 minutes of brisk walking, 5 minutes of dynamic mobility and 3 minutes of very easy jogging. It is a dynamic warm-up: you keep moving instead of holding positions.
Here is the routine with timings and order, the five exercises explained one by one, and variations for an easy run, a pace session or a 5K or 10K race, and for doing it on a treadmill.
The 10-minute routine
The routine follows a low-to-high order: first you walk, then you move the joints with dynamic exercises and finally you start jogging very easy.
| Minutes | Block | What you do | Effort out of 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 to 2:00 | Walking | Brisk pace, with loose arms | 2 |
| 2:00 to 7:00 | Dynamic mobility | 5 exercises of 1 minute each | 2 or 3 |
| 7:00 to 10:00 | Very easy jogging | Slower than your easy-run pace | 3 |
The effort is low on purpose. A warm-up is not a workout: if you finish tired, you went too hard.
The five exercises, one by one
Do each exercise for 1 minute, with a wide but comfortable movement, without forcing. If one feels uncomfortable, make it smaller or skip it.
1. Leg swings (30 seconds per leg)
Lean on a wall or a fence with one hand. Swing one leg forward and back, in a relaxed way. After 30 seconds, switch legs.
2. High knees (1 minute)
Walk or jog in place lifting your knees to a comfortable height. No jumping and no rush.
3. Heels to glutes (1 minute)
Walk or jog slowly bringing your heels toward your glutes, alternating legs.
4. Walking lunges (1 minute)
Take a long step forward and lower the back knee without touching the ground. Alternate legs, moving forward little by little.
5. Trunk twists and hip circles (1 minute)
With your feet apart, rotate your trunk from side to side with loose arms. Halfway through the minute, switch to gentle hip circles.
How to do it well
- Do it right before heading out, without leaving much time between the end of the routine and your first step.
- Keep the order: walking, exercises and jogging.
- When you start running for real, the first minutes are still easy. If your session is an easy run, see what pace to run your easy runs at.
- You do not need any equipment.
- Always repeat it the same way: the routine is easier to keep up if you do not have to think about it.
How to know you have warmed up well
There is no exact sign, but these sensations tell you that you are on track:
- Your breathing is a bit faster than when you started, but you can still speak in full sentences.
- Your movements come out looser than in the first minute.
- The final jog feels easy, around 3 out of 10, and you are in no hurry to speed up.
If you need more time to loosen up, lengthen the initial walk by one or two minutes before moving on to the exercises.
If you have little space
The routine fits in a couple of square meters. The walking lunges can be done in place, without moving forward, and the final jog can be the start of your own route. What matters is keeping the order and the timings.
Variations depending on what you are going to run
The 10-minute routine is the base. You can shorten or extend it depending on the session.
| Situation | Duration | What you do | Strides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy run | 6 min | 2 min walking, 2 exercises of your choice and 2 min of very easy jogging | No |
| Long run | 10 min | The full routine from the table | No |
| Pace session, 5K or 10K | 13 min | The full routine and, at the end, 2 strides of 20 s with 70 s of jogging or walking | Yes, 2 |
| Treadmill | 10 min | The same routine: exercises off the treadmill and the jog on the treadmill, at the lowest speed that feels comfortable | No |
If you follow the 10K training plan for beginners (in Spanish), before every running session it suggests 5 minutes of dynamic warm-up and 3 of very easy jogging, and on race day, 10 minutes of very easy jogging and a couple of strides. The routine in this article is a general alternative, with a 6-minute version for easy runs: if you follow the plan, use the plan's warm-up.
If the routine is for a race, how to organize race week and race day gives you a countdown with times.
For a session like fartlek, a gentle warm-up and cool-down are part of every session.
What this routine does not include
This routine is dynamic: you are moving the whole time. It does not include stretches in which you hold a position. If you like to stretch, you can do it after you finish running, as a personal preference.
Common mistakes
- Turning it into a workout: going too hard in the exercises or the jog.
- Skipping the first two minutes of walking and going straight to jogging.
- Doing it too early and waiting around before heading out.
- Always doing the same duration, without taking the session into account.
- Starting to run fast right after the warm-up ends.