One question we get asked a lot from our triathletes is: “Do I need to warm up before my runs?”
The short answer is, “YES”! Being a master’s athlete, this becomes a non-negotiable part of your routine.
Here’s why…
Warming up increases blood flow to the tendons, muscles, ligaments and bones. Blood is what oxygenates tissue and keeps it healthy and resilient. The more blood flow you have through your tissues, the less likely you are to injure tissue.
As we age, our body goes through various changes. A lot of these changes happen within the tendons of muscles. The tendon is the thicker part of the muscle that attaches to bone. You may be familiar with the achilles tendon, rotator cuff tendons, or hip tendons. Tendons inherently have a limited blood supply and as we age, these tendons can become a bit more vulnerable to injury. Part of the reason is because as we age, our circulation becomes a little less robust. Further, our sedentary jobs contribute to even less blood flow through the tendon causing them to become more frail. That’s why it’s so important to move frequently throughout the day…a walking pad under your desk can do wonders to keep your circulation top notch and your metabolism going.
Running, swimming and biking puts a lot of stress on your tendons, especially when you are training speed. Because tendons inherently have limited blood supply in addition to the physiological changes that they are exposed to as you age, it is uber important that you get the blood flowing through your tendons prior to starting your run. Most injuries we see tend to be tendon specific in most of the triathletes we see.
You can go through a simple 10 minute routine to warm up your tendons before you hit the ground running. These will get your heart rate up and get the blood flowing through your tendons so they can stay healthy and injury free!
In order to warm up fully, you must do 3 things:
- 3-5 Minute Movement Prep Before You Head Out The Door
- 3-5 Minute Dynamic Warm Up Before Your Run
- 7-10 min brisk walk before you start running
Happy training!
Dr. Tejal Ramaiya, PT, DPT, CSCS, CMPTP/DN, TPI/CGF-MP
Owner at Body Moksha Physical Therapy
P.S. If you’re a runner or triathlete dealing with nagging niggles, don’t wait until they get worse. Please get them checked out so you’re not sidelined from training! Reach out to us by phone/text at 973-310-2678 or Click here to inquire.
