EFL Blog

The subject of warming-up is always a contentious one not only in gyms but among cyclists, runners, and just about every sport. This New York Times article takes the angle that less may be better.

In recent years there have been a host of research studies on the topic, some saying one thing, some another. But who I ultimately look to are top fitness pros and strength coaches who’s job depends on keeping their clients/athletes healthy and performing well. Among these the consensus seems to be that an extensive warm-up consisting of treadmill/bike + stretching doesn’t do much if anything.

Instead what produces better results are movements that improve joint mobility or stability, which also prepares the muscles and fascia for the tasks ahead.

Nothing works in isolation right? The hip bone is connected to the knee bone…

Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, and Bill Hartman’s Magnificent Mobility and Inside Out DVDs were large influences on my approach and opened my eyes to the fact that warm-ups should be individualized to some degree. Some people need more work on their hips to better prepare them to run, while another might need to focus more on shoulders.

In any case if your trainer suggests walking on a treadmill for 5 minutes or hopping on your bike for a 15 minute slower paced warm-up is all you need you should run the other way.  After some ankle mobility drills, of course.

Most of the cycling or running books and articles I have read are still in the stone-age when it comes to warming up and training in general. Too bad that so many recreational runners and those just looking to get more fit get much of their information from such sources.

Perhaps if they didn’t we wouldn’t see injury rates for recreational runner well over 60%.  See http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/0123-common-sports-injuries.htm

By comparison, injury rates for NCAA Division I football is 37%. for NCAA Hockey it is 17%. Which is not to say that the (lack of) warm-ups done by many casual runners or cyclists is solely to blame, but when people come into EFL and I do a Functional Movement Screen on them it’s usually quite apparent who does and doesn’t do a good dynamic warm-up.

In a joint study between the University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine lab, Ohio State, and Stanford University on clinical research applications for preventing hamstring injuries (Strength and Conditioning Journal, Vol 33 #3, June 2011) dynamic warm-ups and mobility drills are suggested as an effective and necessary part of an athlete’s training.

The study says that those athletes with a history of hamstring strains that implemented a program of progressive core stabilization and agility, which is essentially our warm-up and mobility training here at EFL) had a re-injury rate of 7% one year later.

Those that did only static stretching had an re-injury rate of 70%. Needless to say a little stretching before and after exercise along with some jogging or slow pedaling will not cut it.

So please do yourself a favor and start incorporating foam rolling, dynamic warm-ups, and mobility work into your routine. That ten minutes you spend every day could very well not only improve your performance and keep you feeling good, but keep you out of the physical therapist’s office.