How to Warm Up Before Sprinting
A proper warm up before sprinting causes the body to transform from rest mode to “fight or flight” mode. At rest, the body distributes blood equally throughout the body’s systems. When you begin to warm up before exercising, blood is diverted out of the digestive system and into the muscles. The blood vessels dilate, the heart prepares for work, and the muscles increase elasticity. The body temperature rises as well, during a good warm up. The combination of these effects leads to a better performance during a workout and a less chance of injury.
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Instructions
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Hold your hands out in front of you and parallel to the ground. As you take a step, kick the toe up with a straight leg until you touch your hands. This is the high toe touch.
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Begin standing erect with feet touching. Take a step forward and then kneel down on one knee. Stand erect, towards the front leg, and then take another step forward with the opposite leg. This is the walking lunge.
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Mimic a sprinting motion with your arms. Bend your knees and literally kick your behind with your heel. Butt Kicks should be performed with quick motions but each step forward should not exceed one foot. These are butt kicks.
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Leap forward as far as possible keeping your arms and legs straight. The heel should never touch the ground during this exercise. When performing the Marching Band Run correctly, you should feel as if you are leaning backwards slightly. This is the marching band run, also known as "nutcrackers".
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Throw the foot backwards as far as possible and try to touch your heel to your behind with each step. The proper arm position is elbows flexed at a ninety degree angle and the hands alternating between the hip and ear. This is the backwards run and it is a combination of a backward lunge and butt kick.
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Tips & Warnings
Walk or jog 400 to 800 meters before completing the warm up exercises. A sample walk/jog is a 400 meter jog, followed by a 200 meter walk and then finish with a 200 jog/run. Warm up exercises should be completed from ten to forty meters.
Build a general physical fitness base before beginning a sprinting routine. Even with a proper warm up, a person who hasn’t exercised in over three months has a high chance of injury if they sprint without building the base first.
