The warm up is the foundation of every run. A warm up gives your muscles, bones, tendons, and joints a chance to loosen up. Also, it gradually brings up your heart rate and makes it easier to get into the rhythm you want while you’re on your run. Now, I hear you huffing and puffing saying, “Martinus, ain’t nobody got time for that! I barely got enough time to run, let alone warm up before I run.” I got you, homie!!! While it’s tempting to head out the door and get over with your run as fast as you can. If you’re running without proper a warm up, you can risk of pulling a muscle, tweaking a tendon or joint. Now, you’re sitting on the sidelines with the pouty face because you didn’t heed my advice. But that’s not going to happen because I found your solution to your time constraints. Read on to learn how to properly warm up for a run in 5 minutes.
How to Warm up for A Run in 5 Minutes
1. Leg Raises
Lay on your back, lock down your core and lift your legs as high as you can. Do 10 reps on each leg.
2. Standing Lunges
Take a big step forward with your left foot. Sink straight down so your front left knee tracks over the top of your shoe and your back right knee points down toward the ground. Push back to the starting position. Be sure to keep your knees, hips and shoulders all facing forward. Do you 10 reps each leg.
3. Leg Swings
Grab on to something sturdy for balance. Swing your leg as far forward and back as possible without using your back. Again lock down your abs or suck in your gut. Do you 10 reps each leg.
4. Arm Swings
This is like the leg swing but for your arms. Lock the abs down and swings arms from the shoulder.
5. Toy Soldiers/ Straight Leg Shuffle
Tighten your core muscles. Without bending your knee lift your right leg in a forward. Return leg to starting position and repeat with left leg combo. swing arms like you’re running. Keep your back straight. Continue alternating side for 15 sec. 
6. Skips
Take it old school and skip to my Lou. Do 10 skips on each leg.
There you have it… A 5 minute warm up for your run! To check out the entire tutorial, you can watch it here:
Until next time,
300 Pounds and Running
