A dynamic warm up is a good way to gradually increase blood and oxygen flow to prepare the legs, heart, and lungs for the demands of an intense workout or race.
Start with 10-20 minutes of easy running to get the blood and oxygen flowing.
Then add some dynamic stretches and drills (as shown in the video).
Finish up with 3-4 x 15-20 second strides @ 5K effort or faster so that it isn’t a shock to the system when you start the intense portion of your workout or race.
This video was created to illustrate a basic dynamic warm-up routine that activates key running muscles before intense efforts without taking too long. It is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of all dynamic stretches or running drills, but is a good start for stretching and activating areas that are prone to injury during intense efforts: calves, shins, hamstrings, quads, glutes, groin, etc.
Photo by Peter Collins Photography
Video by Paul Nelson and Sean Nielsen.
Editing by Brian Allen-Aguilar of Eagle's Nest Artistry.