RAMP Up Your Running Warm-Up
Elevate your running warm-up and prepare your body for activity properly by following the RAMP protocol
Guest Blog by Sydney Connolly - Athletic Training Student
Looking for a running warm-up, but don’t know where to start? You aren’t alone! Before going for a run, a lot of us go for the good old shoulder stretch, add a quick toe touch, and hope our tight muscles loosen up during the first mile. The purpose of a proper warm-up is to prepare your body for the stressors it will encounter while running, and the positive impacts speak for themselves. By implementing a proper warm-up, your muscles are able to properly contract and relax, there is an increase in force production, muscular strength, muscular power, and blood flow to active muscles!
Out with the old and in with the new! It’s time to switch up your running warm-up by implementing the RAMP protocol! Prepare your body for peak performance through proper activation of working muscles!
RAMP Protocol - Raise, Activate and Mobilize, Potentiate
Phase 1: Raise
Start your warm-up in the raise phase! Within this phase, the goal is to elevate your body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, blood flow, and joint fluid viscosity (increase shock absorption at the joints). Here we are warming up the body while allowing for a gradual increase in key functions involved in running. This can be done by jogging for 5 to 10 minutes!
Phase 2: Activate and Mobilize
Time to activate our muscles while increasing joint mobility by moving through common ranges of motion utilized within running! Within this phase we will focus on dynamic stretching - actively moving muscles and joints through a full range of motion. Activation and mobilization is a great way to work on stability, flexibility, and motor control which are all utilized throughout a run! Some great exercises to add are heel walks, toe walks, arm swings, lunges with lumbar rotation, scoops, quad pull with a reach, and figure-4s!
Phase 3: Potentiate
Within the last phase, the goal is to move through sport-specific movements that gradually increase in intensity until the intensity of the planned activity is met. This prepares the body for high levels of power, speed, and strength. Depending on what pace you are running, this phase may look a little different. Some basic movements that you can implement are A-skips, B-skips, and a lean fall run into the speed of the upcoming run! You are officially ready for your upcoming run!
The warm-up is equally as important as the training session. Taking 10-20 minutes to warm-up places your body in the ideal position for a successful run which increases your progress and decreases your risk for injury! Although it is easier to get right into the workout, adding a warm-up allows you to get the most out of your training session. At FIXXED, we want to see you succeed while doing what you love to do! Education on proper exercise practices paired with recovery modalities is our speciality, and the perfect combination for your upcoming summer runs! To learn more about how FIXXED can help you stay healthy and speedy, click HERE to book a discovery call with one of our clinicians today!
FIXXED is a first of its kind recovery studio offering bodywork techniques to help you move and feel your best. We offer quick and effective hands-on services in a one on one setting performed by a licensed physical therapist or athletic trainer. We believe that recovery should be fast, convenient, and accessible for everyone which is exemplified in both our locations located in Haverhill, MA & Wakefield, MA. Click HERE to book a free discovery call with FIXXED!
