Oly BockSix drills at the door, three versions by run type. Routine and sources checked 29 October 2026.
Short answer: A good running warm-up takes about six minutes at the door: calf raises, bodyweight squats, reverse lunges, an upper back twist, A-skips and pogo hops. Before an easy run, the first three moves are enough. Before intervals, add 10 to 15 minutes of easy running and three or four strides. On race day, do the full routine plus strides and finish shortly before the start.
You lace up, check the watch, and the first kilometer feels like running in wet sand. Most runners know they should warm up, and most skip it because a 20-minute routine doesn’t fit before work. Six minutes does, and it pays off in the run you’re about to do: a smoother first kilometer and legs that are ready when the pace picks up.
I’m building a strength app for runners that also covers the minutes before a run; more on that below.
Six drills in six minutes get your legs ready for the first kilometer
Do them in this order, right outside your door. Each move takes a little more range or speed than the one before, so you finish with quick, springy contacts.
| # | Drill | Dose | About | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calf raise, straight knee | 15 reps | 45 s | “Drive through the big toe.” |
| 2 | Bodyweight squat | 10 reps | 45 s | “Sit between your heels.” Slow down, fast up. |
| 3 | Reverse lunge, bodyweight | 5 per side | 60 s | “Back knee kisses the floor.” |
| 4 | Upper back twist | 5 per side | 45 s | “Show your chest to the wall beside you.” Hips face forward. |
| 5 | A-skips | 2 × 20 m | 60 s | “Punch the knee up.” Foot lands under the hip. |
| 6 | Pogo hops | 2 × 10 | 45 s | “Bounce like the floor is hot.” Quick contacts. |
With short walks between drills, the routine runs about six minutes.
The cues point at something outside your body (the floor, your heels, the knee punching up). Coaches use that kind of cue because it tends to improve accuracy and consistency compared with thinking about single muscles; Gabriele Wulf’s research on attentional focus found this across many motor tasks (Wulf, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2013).
Easy runs need only the first three minutes
Before an easy run, do drills 1 to 3, about three minutes, and start the run at a jog. Let the first five minutes run slower than your usual easy pace; the pace comes by itself.
That’s the whole point of an easy-day warm-up: you leave the house with calves and hips that already moved through their full range, so the first kilometer feels like running.
Intervals get the full routine, easy running and strides before the first rep
Hard sessions ask for more. A version many coaches use, in this order:
1. The six drills, about six minutes. 2. 10 to 15 minutes of easy running. 3. Three or four strides of about 20 seconds: relaxed fast, with “smooth and quiet feet”, walking back between them.
Then start your first rep. Strides bridge the gap between easy jogging and interval pace, so the first rep feels like rep two.
On race day, do the full routine and finish shortly before the start
Shorter races ask for the longest warm-up: before a 5K or 10K, many runners jog 10 to 15 minutes, do the drills and strides, and step into the start area with about 10 minutes to spare. For a half marathon or marathon, the opening kilometers do much of the warm-up, so the drills and a few minutes of jogging are often enough.
If the start corral is packed, calf raises, squats and pogo hops fit in a square meter. Use them in the last minutes to keep your legs awake.
Long static stretches fit better after the run
A review of stretching studies links long static holds right before exercise with reduced performance, while short holds under about 90 seconds in total often show no loss (Behm and Chaouachi, European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2011). Short, moving drills like the six above keep the spring. Save the long holds, like a calf stretch at the wall, for after the run, when they feel good.
Warming up in general shows clear benefits in the research: a systematic review with meta-analysis found that warm-ups improved performance in 79% of the measures examined (Fradkin, Zazryn and Smoliga, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010).
Runner Strength Training fits a warm-up into the time you have
Disclosure: I’m building this app. I built it for myself: my running week changes all the time, and strength work was always the first thing I dropped. Now I train with it myself before I open the beta.
Runner Strength Training is an iPhone app, in testing now and coming soon. Say how much time you have and where you are. You get the right session for your running. Short on time still counts, and every session pays into your running.
Get notified when it launches →
FAQ
How long should a warm-up before running be?
About three minutes of drills before an easy run, and six minutes of drills plus 10 to 15 minutes of easy running and a few strides before intervals or a short race. Longer races need less, because the opening kilometers warm you up.
Should I stretch before running?
Short, moving drills suit the minutes before a run better than long holds. Keep stretches held for a minute or more for after the run (Behm and Chaouachi, 2011).
Do I really need a warm-up before an easy run?
A short one helps the first kilometer feel smoother. Three minutes of calf raises, squats and lunges, then a slow first five minutes, covers it.
Are running drills the same as a warm-up?
Drills like A-skips and pogo hops are part of a warm-up. Pair them with a few general moves first (calf raises, squats) and, before hard sessions, some easy running.
What can I do in a crowded start corral?
Calf raises, bodyweight squats and pogo hops fit in a square meter and keep your legs ready in the last minutes before the start.
For general fitness and wellbeing. Not medical advice.
How I put this routine together
- Routine: the six drills come from the exercise list I use in my own training; names and cues match the app I’m building.
- Search results: I read the top 10 Google results for “running warm up” (US, 29 October 2026). They list drills; none splits the warm-up by run type.
- Sources: Fradkin, Zazryn and Smoliga (2010), Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Behm and Chaouachi (2011), A review of the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching on performance, European Journal of Applied Physiology. Wulf (2013), Attentional focus and motor learning: a review of 15 years, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
Updated: 29 October 2026 (first version).
A warm-up and strength sessions that fit your running week
Say how much time you have and where you are, and get the right session for your running.
Get notified when it launches →