Ive been feeling lately that I need to warm up much more in my morning training, just cant get the numbers with the “15 min easy run” or “20 mins easy ride”, when I was youngersit was completely different, age is hitting hard haha.
Since Ive a full time job, I cant just get a longer warm up segment, I was thinking about having a stretching or some routine at home when I wake up.
Anyone has experience on it that can share in this topic, I would appreciate it.
In my 60’s now I can relate. If I start slow and easy, hoping I’ll warm up in a timely manner… it can be a couple miles and tons of wasted time. For me, the remedy has been a few 30 second to a minute hard, but not injurious strides… enough to spike my heart rate and get me breathing hard. A few of those with easy recoveries, and I’m ready to go.
For running at least, I’ll use resistance band exercises to warm up the muscles and jump rope for a couple of minutes to get the heart rate up a bit and loosen the calves.
My warm ups in every sport usually have a small amount of quality in them.
Swim: maybe it’s 4k total w./ 2k-3k broken up @ T. I’ll do a 1k warm up w./ 600 choice, 12 x 25 (1 build/1 fast/1 ez), 100 choice
Bike: 10:00-30:00 ez into 15:00 build (3:00 @ Z2-Z4 progressive) into main set
Run: 10:00-20:00 ez into 400 tempo + 4 x 100 strides
I find that spinning on the bike for 10 minutes helps prepare me for runs better than actually running to warm up for the runs.
I remember talking with a runner back in the 1980s who was in his late 50s and still running 2:30 marathons that used a stationary bike to spin on before his runs for the same reason.
I can relate - I do all my training (often 2 sessions) in the morning before work. Two things that have worked for me. On swim days, I always swim first and then bike/run after. I find it much easier to get going in the pool than biking/running from a warm-up POV. On other days, I always try to include some sort of progressive warm-up, e.g., on the bike, it might be 10 min easy, 6 min IM Pace, 3 min threshold, 5-10 min easy, and then start the main set - realize that ends up being close to a 30 min warm-up so may not work for folks only doing 60-minute sessions.
Program Alexa to read the top 5 news briefs to you while still in bed.
Make bed, get coffee & oatmeal or organic toast with fruit jam.
Put on some music and dance (I’m not a good dancer but do it just for the warm up & it makes me feel happy because I’m laughing at how ridiculous I probably look)…while drinking a bottle of water or Infinit dressed for run, or bike.
If swimming do the same warm up you’d do for run/bike except freestyle, back & breastroke in the mirror for proper form & visualize while doing it…take about 5 min.
Start workout–feel great, plenty of warmup & some nutrition as well to get you through the workout.
FWIW that’s what I do anyhow–it works great.
Percussion massagers for a few minutes pre run/ride have helped me significantly in shortening the needed warm up
This.
I actually remember seeing Eric Lagerstrom post a brick video where he’s rolling to get the muscles activated/warmed up and ready to go before his run. He’s several years younger than me. I’ve incorporated similar and appreciate a slow burn leading into my main workout…