Whether you are hitting the icy, snowy pavement or the treadmill you need to prepare your body for the road ahead. It’s cold enough out there. So, while getting dressed in layers of clothing will be a workout in itself, we need to warm up our muscles, which can help increase our circulation so that not only does your body not start out cold, but you’re hands and fingers may be a little warmer too.
Swinging legs, rotating arms, twisting and turning, you’ve seen your fellow runners doing these moves. As you have watched, you wondered, “Is it was worth it?” Yes, in indeed dynamic stretching is the way to a better warm up. Helping to simulate your body’s range of motion in preparation for the next activity, dynamic stretches are controlled movements that mimic a similar range of motion for a given activity like running.
Here’s are six dynamic stretches that you can incorporating into your warm up routine, to help protect your muscles and get you psyched and ready to tackle the cold weather.
Leg Swings: Standing with feet together, knees slightly bent, wwing one leg out to the side then back to center. Perform ten repetitions on each leg.
Forward Lunges with a Torso Twist: Standing with feet together, begin with walking lunges then twist torso in the same direction as the leading leg. For example, lunging with your right foot, then twist to the right. Perform ten repetitions on each leg
Front Kicks: Standing with feet hip-width apart, kick opposite leg forward and with opposite hand try to touch toes. Alternate ten repetitions on each leg.
Knee Circles: Lift one foot off floor, knee bent and draw a circle with your knee towards the outside of your body. Perform ten repetitions on each leg.
Side Lunges: Standing feet together, step out to the side, lean into that bent knee while the other leg stays straight. Hold for 3 to five seconds then spring back to starting position and switch legs. Perform ten repetitions per leg.
Arm Swings: Standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with knees slightly bent. Swing arms up and overhead, forward, down and behind. Repeat ten times, keeping back straight throughout.
About Carrie Burrows
Carrie turned her life from around from being obese to being fit. She studied Kinesiology at York University after she began a journey from being 225 pounds as a teenager and decided that she would dedicate her life to helping others realize the benefits of being fit and healthy. She is the CFO (Chief Fitness Officer) of Health and Fitness Systems Inc. where she has helped turn the lives of hundreds of women and men around through fitness, nutrition and training programs she designs. Carrie runs and designs several boot camp-style fitness programs along with corporate fitness/wellness programs, and still finds time to take on personal training clients while raising her three children to be fit and healthy. She is an avid mid-distance runner who loves to book “racecations” while still chasing a faster minute mile. Carrie knows firsthand the two worlds of being unhealthy and fit and believes that, “Anyone with a goal, dedication and support can become who they want to be.”
Visit her website and follow Carrie on Twitter and Instagram!
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