What we want in the fall:
longer runs
crunchy leaves
cooler temps
pumpkin spice flavored GU or to be straight up fueled by donuts
Vs. What we DON'T want in the fall:
tight
stiff
limiting
and near painful ankles and calf muscles ruining our long runs
Lucky for you, you can keep all of the former without any of the above ;)
Warm ups are important.
But something probably not well understood:
Warm Ups can ADAPT and CHANGE based on:
how you're feeling
what todays' run is
what yesterday's run was and your body is responding to it.
I do this All. the. Time. in the physical therapy clinic and with my running clients.
It's not rocket science. It's asking yourself "how does my body feel? Where is it tight or stiff? Where does it feel good and ready to go?"
I tweak my warm up regularly.
Yes, I have the slight advantage of being a physical therapist, but the process remains the same.
And trust me when I say, when it comes to fall miles and higher mileage calling both our names, we're going to be in the same boat.
Stiff ankle joints.
Tight calves.
Even a constant, nagging pulling sensation deep into your Achilles.
I've been there and done it all.
But now I'm smart enough to figure out how to avoid it. ;)
So let me give YOU a 5 Minute Dynamic ankle warm up that I'll be doing with you this fall.
Let's hop in:
ANKLE WARM UP CIRCUIT FOR RUNNERS INCREASING FALL MILEAGE
Circuit:
2-3 sets each
Inline Lunge
2x10 ea side
Double Leg Pogo Jumps to Single Leg Pogos
x5-10 jumps DL --> 5 jumps single leg (both sides)
Calf Raise Balance Challenge
PART 1: weight shift side to side. Holding ea side for 5 secs minimum, come down: 5x ea side!
PART 2: High Knee Calf Raise with Balance Hold. Hold SL calf raise position for 5 secs on one side, come down; repeat on opposite side: 3-5x ea side!
HIGHER MILEAGE DYNAMIC ANKLE EXERCISES
Inline Lunge
Yes, you've definitely seen this one before. But are you doing it?
THE SECRET: you don't have to stretch for 20mins to loosen up your ankles (unless you really want to). I'm all about getting the best result, as quickly as possible.
This exercise looks like running; can you see how it looks like an itty-bitty stride? Plus there's some nice balance work that's occurring (you have to line your feet up like you're walking a tight rope.)
But more importantly, you're an active participant. Yes, static stretching feels good. But our bodies aren't static. Running isn't static! Your body will more likely hold on the improved, better mobility you've created when you actively teach it how to use it.
Double Leg Pogo Jumps to Single Leg Pogos
I know you're thinking these are too much for a warm up. But they're actually perfect.
HERE'S WHY: plyometrics, even chill ones like these, are better done on fresh legs. You maximize performance and muscular adaptations by doing these first!
These plyos are also small enough that your body can handle the load of running afterwards.
Plus, structured this way, they take like 1 minute. Work smarter, not harder.
Calf Raise Balance Challenge
These humbled me. But they were also kind of fun...
THE SECRET: I deliberately broke this exercise up into two parts. Because it can still be effective if you're NOT ready for the single balance challenge.
Coming up onto your tip toes doesn't seem like a big deal. Until you stay there, balancing for 5 secs or more, only tapping the wall.
Here's the kicker: this is what we consider an isometric exercise. We contract the muscle and hold it-there's no additional shortening or elongating of the muscle fibers. This tip toe positions also looks like running, especially once we transition to one leg and bring up the opposite knee. WE NEED TO BE STRONG HERE. we need to be fatigue resistant. And this can be an easy, fast way to begin to build this strength and remind our body how to stay strong and stable in this position.
I have some super important cues in the video for this exercise, so go watch that.)
WRAPPING UP
There's a catch... (DON'T SKIP THIS PART DOWN HERE!)
I don't want you leaving and to be under the impression of, "If I do these 3.5 exercises, I'll be injury free!"
Yea, not so much.
This is a 2 part situation.
Mobility before stability.
(Which means you need good joint mobility first, but then you have to build strength or create muscle activation around said joint to lock in all the motion gains you made.)
That's the purpose of the very first exercise, the inline lunge.
(if you need more ankle mobility exercises, I got you covered in other blog posts).
But after that first exercise, you'll notice the trend of running-looking exercises, requiring energy, stability, even power.
You might even find that things feel...different side to side.
Are the exercises easier on one side compared to the other?
Does one side cramp up a little?
Can you hold that challenging balancing position for longer than the other side?
(These all happened to me, by the way. My left side needs to some serious work)
I NEED YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
Because you still need to work on STRENGTH.
Specifically, ankle and foot strength.
Yes, we dipping our toes (pun not intended), into that strength with this dynamic ankle warm up.
Yes, these exercises should actually start to feel easier over time.
But the side that is more difficult a little more is telling you THIS is the side that needs more strength attention.
And the kicker, maybe that weaker side will get injured.
But more likely, the STRONGER side might start to feel that niggle first.
HERE'S WHY with a personal example:
years ago, I constantly twisted and sprained my LEFT ankle. Then the right.
More recently, my RIGHT ankle and foot have experienced more niggles.
But my RIGHT side is undeniably stronger. WHAT GIVES?
My right side likes to be the over-achiever and take on the extra workload of the left. But the work is meant to be divided 50-50. No wonder my RIGHT side gets injured when it's doing 150% of the work.
Is the picture beginning to emerge?
So use these exercises as a dynamic warm up, but also use them as a way to check in with yourself, a mini pre-injury screen.
You'll thank yourself later ;)
If you're looking for even more ways to stay injury-free, improved your fall running, maybe even crush some PRs, then one thing that's non-negotiable for you:
strength training like a runner with exercises designed to help you conquer your goals.
And the best news: these strength workouts don't have to take hours.
You need 20mins and some dumbbells.
(doesn't get easier than that, right?)
Let's get you started with my FREE strength guide for runners HERE! (don't worry; it's a super low tech PDF. sometimes we don't need an app for everything lol)
Until next time, running fit fam...
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
P.S. RACE READY November 2024 is coming...
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