April 16, 2020

Optimise your Running Warm Up

For many of us, warming up before a run has long fallen by the wayside; most days find us racing out the door trying to fit a 40 minute run into a 30 minute lunch break. However, incorporating an effective warm up routine before you set off - including muscle activation for just 5-10 minutes - can help improve running economy and prevent injury.

Often, when people hear the words ‘warm up’ they picture a long session of stretching. However, research on the benefits of stretching have been inconclusive at best and studies have shown that for running in particular, static stretching before a run may not actually improve your running performance or decrease your risk of injury. Increased flexibility increases the need for muscle-stabilization activity, as well as decreased storage and return of elastic energy.

To put it simply, the more flexible you are, the more energy your body uses to stabilize that range of motion, rather than putting that energy into maintaining speed. All this being said, I’m not saying that you should never stretch again - on the contrary, stretching is fantastic as a cool down and recovery tool.

So, What Is the Right Way to Warm Up?

As is undoubtedly obvious, running uses a lot of muscles, especially in our lower body. However, with current work schedules resulting in people sitting down for large amounts of the day, the big muscles in the posterior chain that we need to engage for optimal performance and decreasing risk of injury are often lazy and forget how to wake up. When these muscles forget how to fire properly our quads and hip flexors have to work extra hard to pull up our legs - a job they shouldn’t be doing alone.

The Posterior Chain: As the name suggests, it is all the muscles that make up the back side of your body, running from your head, all the way down to your feet. Composed of some of the largest and strongest muscles in the body, the posterior chain includes our calves, hamstrings, glutes, and back muscles. It’s responsible for controlling our gait, acceleration and deceleration, and keeping us upright.

Doing 5 simple exercises that activate the posterior chain before you head out for your run can help improve your running economy, prevent injury and bring your heart rate up slowly so that you are ready to rumble at the start of your run.

Perform 1-3 rounds of 8-10 reps of each exercise (on each side if necessary):

Lunges with Front Heel Raise: Starting with your feet shoulder distance apart, step forward into a lunge position, making sure that your front knee does not extend past your toes, or point inwards. At the bottom of your lunge, lift your front heel off the ground and slowly return it to the ground, with control. From there, push through your heel to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. This exercise activates your calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quads all in one go.
Glute Bridge: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the floor. Pressing into your heels, lift your hips off the ground, making a straight line with your body from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top for a count of 3, before lowering your hips with control back to the ground. Once you get stronger, try adding resistance with a band or weights.
Hip Hinge: Start with your feet shoulder width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Engaging your core muscles, shift the weight onto your heels and begin to hinge at the hips, pushing your hips and butt back. Make sure your spine remains in a straight line with a neutral gaze forward, and ensure you are hinging at your hips rather than your lower back. Keeping a slight bend in your knees, hinge until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings - this will be somewhere between vertical and parallel to the floor - before engaging your glutes and hamstrings to bring your torso back to the upright position. Ensuring that your core is engaged throughout the entire movement is essential.
Lateral Lunge with Knee Drive: Starting with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing forward, step out to one side as far as you can. Shift your weight onto that heel, drop your hips and bend the knee, keeping your other leg straight and foot flat on the floor. Push into the heel of the bent knee and return to the starting position, bringing that same knee up to 90 degrees in front of you. This exercise should activate your inner and outer thigh muscles, core, glutes, and hamstrings.
Single Leg Calf Raises: Standing on one leg with the other brought up to 90 degrees in front of you, push up quickly onto the ball of the standing foot, engaging your calf muscle. Hold at the top for a single count, before lowering your heel back onto the floor slowly for a count of 3, working on the eccentric strengthening of the muscle. Complete all the reps on one leg before switching to the other leg. If you find yourself losing your balance, you may need something to hold on to or a wall to support yourself.

These exercises are not prescriptive and are part of a large number of exercises that can activate your posterior chain so feel free to mix it up! This warm up only takes about 10 minutes, but the right routine will give your muscles a chance to prepare for the work ahead, making it easier to get into the rhythm you want to sustain during your run, and have you feeling good and ready to hit the road again.

Let's Do This, Together

In partnership with

Latest articles

The Challenges Women Face in Running and How It Impacts Participation

Running is often lauded as one of the most accessible sports—just lace up your trainers and go. However, for many women, the barriers to participation go far beyond the logistical. While safety concerns are frequently highlighted, deeper systemic issues like access to the sport and unequal treatment are also preventing more women from running. It was a topic keenly discussed at our In Her Stride panel held at the end of November, with key members of the female running community including Sophie Power, Tasha Thompson, Rehana Mawani and Emily Shane.

Before we kick things off however, we should highlight that female participation in running events is growing, and this is a great thing! According to data from Let’s Do This, women in their 20s are the fastest-growing demographic in event participation this year. However despite this, women are still 16% less likely to run every week compared to men. This disparity is particularly striking given that women report higher levels of personal benefits from running, such as improved fitness, better sleep, and reduced stress.

The reasons for this are complex and personal, however we have broken down three key challenges discussed during our panel and the solutions explored that could help address them.

1. The Pressure of Pace

One of the biggest hurdles for many women is the pressure to run faster. Despite the average UK woman’s running speed of 06:37 min/km (according to Strava), most run clubs don’t cater to this with the slowest pace often around 6 minutes per km. Add to this the relentless focus on personal bests and fast times on social media, and it’s no surprise that many women feel too intimidated to join in.

Thankfully, there are starting to be more people rebelling against this speed obsession, including our panelist, Emily Shane. Emily has been leading the charge to encourage more women to disregard pace and focus on the experience of running to drive uptake amongst women. Initiatives like events without cutoff times and more inclusive pace groups at running clubs are vital to creating a more welcoming environment and broadening the benefits of running to the experience and community.

2. Perception of Sport in Schools

One of the topics hotly discussed was how for many girls, the barriers to enjoying physical activity start at school. Puberty, coupled with changing bodies and fluctuating emotions, can make sports feel daunting and uncomfortable for teenage girls. Research highlights this disparity: only 38% of girls enjoy sport and exercise compared to 53% of boys, and just 26% of girls feel confident in physical activity versus 43% of boys.

The panel emphasised the need to address this such as:

Introducing a wider variety of sports and fitness activities to cater to different interests
Providing more supportive and confidence-boosting PE kits.
Showcasing more female role models in sport to inspire young girls.

By addressing these issues at the school level, we can foster a love of sport that lasts into adulthood.

3. Treatment at Events

This is a topic that panelist Sophie Power, founder of SheRACES is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about. Even at organised running events, women often experience unequal treatment. From “unisex: t-shirts (which are actually designed for men) to a lack of sanitary products in portaloos, these "small things" can collectively make women feel like an afterthought. Prize money inequality and rigid event policies—like no deferral options for pregnant or postpartum women—further highlight these disparities.

Thankfully, initiatives like the 50:50 campaign by Threshold (a campaign to get 50% of women at Ultra startlines vs. the current average of 30%) and the advocacy work of SheRACES are driving change, and there are many amazing event organisers such as Maverick, Threshold, Why We Run and many more, that are working hard to make their events are inclusive as possible for women.

Despite these challenges, the panel and attendees felt overwhelmingly optimistic about the future of running for women and the benefits it brings us. Progress is being made, however we all need to add our voices to the conversation to help more women get into the sport and reap the benefits.

Some Helpful Resources‍

Here are a few helpful resources. This list isn’t exhaustive by any means, however is a good starting point for those looking for inspiration on where to start.

Female friendly events:

Female Only Run Clubs

From Radio to Race Day: Hattie Pearson’s Path to Endurance Event Glory

Hattie Pearson is the type of person who doesn’t just dabble in fitness (or most things…!) She dives in headfirst, often with no hand-holding (except, perhaps, metaphorically). From her first triathlon in 2021 to a series of jaw-dropping endurance feats in 2024, she’s been redefining what’s possible with determination, community, and a big ‘YES’ attitude.

Just say YES

Hattie’s ‘yes’ streak started when a friend and her decided to do a sprint triathlon together. “We had such a great time,” Hattie recalls, “and I was like, I want to do more of this.” That spark quickly turned into a blaze of ambition. By the following year, she was competing in Outlaw triathlons and even signing up for a full-distance Ironman—before completing her first half-distance event. “I didn’t give myself the choice to not carry on,” she says.

The Power of Community

For Hattie, discovering the 10IronWomen network—a group committed to gender parity in triathlons—was a game-changer. “It’s amazing to see a community encouraging women and non-binary folk to show up,” she explains. “Seeing others doing it made me think, I want to be a part of this.” That sense of solidarity and shared purpose has been a recurring theme, whether she’s lacing up for a winter triathlon in the Alps or a grueling ultra-marathon closer to home.

A Year of Big Goals

This year, Hattie set herself a dizzying list of challenges. She swam 500 kilometers (yep, that’s half a million meters!) and tackled a range of events, including a winter triathlon complete with ski touring, the Étape du Tour cycling challenge, and her first ultra-marathon. Each was hard in its own way—whether it was battling snowy trails with crampons or smashing out seven-and-a-half-minute miles for 13.1 miles. But for Hattie, the difficulty is the point. “Every time I achieve something I thought was impossible, I remind myself: I can do hard things.”

Balance and Burnout

With goals that ambitious, fitting it all in can be a challenge. Early mornings help. “I’m one of those people who can get up at 5:00 a.m,” Hattie admits, however it also takes a lot of discipline. With her work on Hits Radio starting later in the day, she carves out time for training, dog walks, and the occasional tantrum over broken goggles. “I’ve definitely had those ‘forgetting-my-swimming-costume’ moments,” she laughs. But her key to staying motivated is simple: keep it fresh and fun. Whether it’s joining her triathlon club for training or trying a completely new event, keeping it fun and different is the secret to staying motivated and on track to reach your goals.

Advice for Aspiring Endurance Athletes

For anyone looking to follow in her footsteps (or strokes), Hattie has this advice:

Be patient. Results don’t come overnight, and the journey is as important as the destination.
Stop comparing. “Your journey is completely your own. Social media only shows the highlights,” she reminds us.
Find your community. Whether it’s a running club, a neighbor for early morning jogs, or an online network, accountability and camaraderie make all the difference.

What’s Next for Hattie?

In 2025, Hattie plans to tackle her first multi-day event, the Monster Triathlon. Admittedly it is as scary as it sounds, kicking off with a 5K swim in Loch Ness, followed by a 1,000-kilometer bike ride to Windsor, and wraps up with a casual 50K run to London(!). Her goals also include more open-water swimming, trail running, and maybe—just maybe—an even bigger endurance challenge. (Though definitely not swimming the English Channel: “No way am I swimming through jellyfish without a wetsuit!”)

Hattie Pearson’s journey is more than a personal triumph. It’s a testament to the power of showing up, saying yes, and proving that with the right mindset, anything is possible. Whether you’re tackling your first 5K or dreaming of an ultra-marathon, Hattie’s story is proof that the finish line is worth the hard miles. And when you cross it? You’ve won your race—medal or not. 🏅

‍

Make your own electrolyte drink

Why spend on expensive sports drinks when you can make a natural, hydrating electrolyte drink right at home? With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a refreshing blend packed with essential minerals and hydration-boosting properties. Perfect for fueling your workout or post-run recovery, this homemade option keeps it natural, affordable, and effective.

‍

Ingredients:

1 pinch of high-quality sea salt
Small piece of fresh ginger, peeled
500ml coconut water (e.g., Rebel Kitchen)
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

Prepare Salt & Ginger: Add a pinch of sea salt and the peeled ginger to a blender.
Add Coconut Water & Lime: Pour in the coconut water, squeeze in the lime juice, and add a few mint leaves.
Blend & Serve: Blend until smooth, pour into a glass, and garnish with extra mint. Enjoy your refreshing, hydrating drink!

‍

View all articles

More from

No items found.

View all articles

Inspiration. Delivered.

Sign up to receive personalised event recommendations, our monthly newsletter and the latest updates from the Let’s Do This community.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.