A full body warm up isn’t just a nice to have, come winter is a MUST do for runners.
Having a little trouble convincing yourself to get outside in the cold?
While we know I’m a fan of the treadmill {checkout 7 boredom busting workouts}, there is a lot to be gained from enjoying a run in the winter…
First you feel like a bada** for being outside while the rest of the world is tucked away!
Second you get the roads to yourself which is calming and centering in a way that those at home will never know.
Third there’s the whole extra fat burning thing (yeah seriously read about the benefits of exercising in the cold).
Why We Need a Full Body Warm Up?
It’s cold and the faster we start moving those legs, the faster we warm up…but that my friends is not a warm up!
Remember that it can take your body 4-6 weeks to adjust to new temperatures.
This means a pace that felt easy in the Fall, could be dramatically harder during your first winter workout because cold temperatures restrict blood flow.
Pushing yourself to hit a faster pace when your muscles feel tight can result in a pull or tear.
Include this short warm up and then ease into your pace during the run. It will significantly reduce chances of injury and frustration.
During a workout, up to 80 percent of blood volume is shifted to the active muscles.
Warming up for 12-15 minutes helps the body transition from rest to action without creating stress on the organs or brain.
Dr. Phil Maffetone provides these more specific reasons why warming up prior to your winter run will result in better performance:
- Greater efficiency of joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments
- Greater range of motion
- Increased oxygen availability
- Increased lung capacity
- Release of stored fat for energy
- Creates a routine for mental preparation
How to Warm Up for a Run in Cold Weather
I’ve seen a LOT of 10 minute warm ups and if we’re being honest my normal dynamic warm up probably takes that long now because I add in foam rolling and all kinds of things like that.
But today, we’re busting excuses and cutting that time in half to make sure you DO IT.
5-Minute Indoor Warm Up
This 5 minute full body warm up will get you toasty and your muscles prepared…note this many not apply to those in polar vortex situations where the temperature is technically stupid cold.
Soon I’ll be sharing with you a longer more advanced workout for those who are really ready to take their running up a notch. This one is meant to be fast and simple, so you’ll get in the habit of doing it! 
So, while you’re still debating if you can handle a run in the cold, get dressed and start moving, simply feeling warmer might convince you it won’t be so bad out there.
BONUS TIP:
Before you get started, set your GPS watch on a windowsill or outside on your porch to avoid time spent standing around outside.
If you have the satellites turned on to remember your previous location it should connect, while you’re inside warming up.
Avoid all static stretching, which your muscles are not yet warmed enough for.
Warm Up Exercises At Home
Instead, increase circulation with the following series of dynamic movements, which are designed to increase blood flow and begin to wake up your glutes which are often inactive from sitting!
- Hip circles
- Knee circles
- Leg swings
- Squats
- Trunk rotations
Now that your muscles are warmed up, it’s time to get your heart pumping faster. Spend the next two minutes performing this sequence of fast-paced moves:
- Jumping jacks
- Front lunges — focus on the push off and activating the glutes
- Side lunges
- Squat jumps — focus on landing very lightly
And you can never go wrong with a few rounds of the greatest stretch: roll down to plank, then right leg out and twist open to sky, back to plank, walk hands to feet and roll up.
Time for bragging rights!!
Winter Running Guides
Need a little more to get you going in the winter?
- Best cold weather running gear
- Best winter running gloves
- Are yaktrax good for running?
- Tips for running on snow and ice
What’s the coldest temperature in which you’ve gone out for a run?
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I Am Not a Jogger (Despite What Any Race Photo Shuffle Might Say)
I love cold temperatures, but I so agree that it takes a little while for the body to adjust to those colder temps. I’ve been so thankful that Colorado’s fall seems to have been more mild this year, and that the temperatures are going down slowly.
What’s the coldest you’ve ran in Amanda? :) I’m curious. :) I think I might have run in -10 degrees, but it was really miserable. I don’t think I would do it again unless I had to. O_O
I’ve run in those sub-zero temps when the forecasters warn people not to go outside! Not sure what’s been the lowest but -21 comes to mind? No wind is the key–not necessarily the number on the thermometer. And those icicles that form on my face mask won me a feature on Another Mother Runner so there’s that…
We have a crazy cross country run here the weekend before Thanksgiving and one year, 7000 ran when it was -3 Fahrenheit. And there were 7 stream crossings. I think all of the after-race food was left because it was too cold to hang around and eat. My shoes were rock solid and my zippers on my leggings were frozen shut. The only saving grace was that there was no wind. I’m not sure I would have ran it if the -3 temp was due to wind chill.
Holy cow that’s crazy!!! Water in the cold is usually a count me out point.
Great article, your pictures make me eager to get running again. It won’t get as cold here as you show, but it’s still plenty cold. Also as all runners will agree it has to be the best therapy on the planet.
When it hits a certain temperature I take my runs on the treadmill instead. I am a wimp in cold weather running.
My treadmill is my favorite winter tool :)
Great warm-up! I tell my athletes to warm up indoors before a winter run with leg swings, walking lunges, and other dynamic stretches, but I like your additions of the plyos a lot – jumping jacks will definitely raise the core temperature! I’ve run in single digit temperatures but not much colder, thankfully cold in Seattle means about the 20s which is far more manageable.
I believe -25F was my coldest. Brrr. Now, I live in Las Vegas where the 30s seem too cold for me. :)
I’m the worst about warming up. Hoping this will inspire me. :)
These are great tips. A dynamic warmup is always good but even more crucial in winter. I run outside down to zero, not taking into account windchill. After that, I’ve got nothing to prove. I feel like the treadmill is plenty badass for me.
Hi Amanda! I’m 48, a new runner, and loving your blog! As a Coloradan, (as you know), winter running can mean running in freezing, windy, dark and cloudy, (um, did I say windy?!), conditions… or it can be 65 degrees and sunny. My question is, what do you recommend to wear? I have a race coming up where I won’t be able to hightail it home if I’m underdressed nor do I want to be overdressed. Thanks so much for all of your great advice!
Hey! Yes the wind makes a massive difference!! A lot of it comes down to race morning, and assuming you’ll feel roughly 20 degrees warmer as soon as you start running. I’ve found for a lot of us that having gloves is super helpful no matter what!