Truth or Tradition? Warm-Up Before Every Run? Not So Fast!
Coffee chugged, laces tied, and its time for that familiar pre-run warm-up routine of active stretching, light jogging, and running drills. But hold on runners, because myth number 4 throws a wrench in the warm-up tradition. Do we really need to dedicate precious minutes to warming up before a race, let alone every workout?
The Myth
Skipping your warm-up is an invitation to injury and poor performance. A cardinal sin for any runner, especially come race day!
The Reality
While the myth of the mandatory pre-run warm-up might hold sway in some sports, the scientific evidence on its impact on running injuries and running performance is surprisingly scarce and inconclusive.
Large-scale studies haven’t identified a clear link between warm-up and injury prevention, and some even hint that skipping it might reduce your injury risk.
And when it comes to race-day performance, conflicting results from studies hamper drawing any firm conclusions. However, any potential benefits seem to be limited to very short races (think less than a mile) and any influence there might be, is potentially lost if your race does not start within a few minutes of ending the warm-up. How long are you normally waiting in that coral…
The Verdict
For short easy workouts, the potential benefits of a dedicated warm-up are almost certainly outweighed by the time and effort. And for endurance races, unless you can end your warm-up right before the starting whistle, you are probably wasting your time. Though ultimately, the science is still evolving, and the choice to warm-up or not, is personal.
Stay tuned for another dose of myth-busting goodness tomorrow, and remember, running knowledge is the best kind of holiday gift! So don’t forget to share.
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