Lead a group warmup before your run to help teach your runners the importance of muscle health. As always, snap some pics/videos and send them to [email protected] or tag us @100mileclub to get featured for this month’s challenge!
Stretching is key to keeping your muscles healthy and happy. It also provides a great time to connect with your runners before they hit the track. It doesn’t have to be long; a simple 3-5 minutes before a run (even after!) is awesome. This is also a perfect opportunity to incorporate some science lessons about anatomy and muscles while they stretch.
Below are three guides: a 3-minute warm-up, a 5-minute warm-up, and a 5-minute cooldown. Feel free to use a mixture of your favorite exercises, whatever works for you and your time. Remember, this is meant to be simple, easy to implement, and ultimately fun for the kids. When you find what works, stick to that routine, and you can even have your runners switch off leading the group warm-ups or cool-downs (great opportunity to teach some leadership skills!).
P.S. Music is a huge mood booster! Check out our Spotify playlists here.
Watch our short 30-60-second videos to see the movements shown by Emma, one of our team members. Enjoy!
Go-To 3-Minute Dynamic Warm-Up
- 30 Jumping Jacks
- Leg swings – 30 seconds per leg
- This will open up your hips – excellent if you’ve been sitting all day!
- Bootstrapper Stretch – 30 seconds
- Great hamstring stretch
- Arm circles – 30 seconds with thumbs up, 30 seconds with thumbs down
- Start small, then work your way up to big circles
- You use your upper body to run, too!
5 Minute Dynamic Warm Up
- Look Arounds – 30 seconds
- Arms on your hips; rotate your head right to left
- Jog in Place – 30 seconds
- Hip Swings – 30 seconds for each leg
- These are a staple hip warm-up for running
- Knee to Elbow Twists – 30 seconds
- Warm up your abdomen
- Ankle Rolls – 15 seconds each
- Left to right, then add in circles
- Rock Backs – 30 seconds
- Rock from your toes to your heels
- Wake up those calf muscles!
- Flamingos – 30 seconds per leg
- Stretch out that quad muscle
- Standing Toe T stretch – 30 seconds
- Arms wide in a ‘T,’ reach for opposite toe with hand
- Heel Sweeps – 30 seconds
- Step forward and sweep your arms down past your leg
3-Minute Cooldown – This is helpful to get the kid’s heart rates back down to get ready to transition back into the classroom.
- Slow Motion Ladder Climb – 30 seconds
- Have kids move in slow motion to start slowing their heart rate
- Down to the Ground, Reach for the Sky – 30 seconds
- Squat circles with arms swooping down and then swooping up
- Take deep breaths!
- Squat hold – 30 seconds
- Hands or elbows on knees to push knees out
- Heavy Hang Hamstring Hold – 30 seconds
- Relax shoulder and neck muscles and rock side to side
- Neck stretch – 15 seconds on each side
- Try to touch your right ear to your right shoulder, then switch – don’t forget to breathe!
- Cross Arm Stretch – 15 seconds for each arm
- 3 Deep breaths and a hug
- Inhale with arms wide and exhale to give yourself a hug and a pat on the back – you did it!
