The first kilometre of any run is the hardest. Joints are stiff, heart rate is climbing too fast, the legs feel heavy. That's not a fitness problem, it's a warm-up problem. The body needs about 5 to 10 minutes of preparation before it runs well, and the type of preparation matters more than the length.

This is the beginner's guide to dynamic warming up before a run. We'll cover why it works, the six moves to do, how long to spend, and what to skip (spoiler: those leg-over-the-railings static stretches you've seen on Strava).

Why Dynamic, Not Static

Static stretching is when you hold a stretch (touching your toes, quad pull at the wall) for 20 to 30 seconds. The research is clear: doing this immediately before running offers no injury protection, slightly reduces power output, and lengthens your first kilometre splits. Save static stretching for after the run, or for separate mobility sessions.

Dynamic warm-ups, by contrast, move joints through their range under controlled activity. They raise the heart rate slightly, wake up the right muscles, and switch on the nervous system before you ask it to do anything fast. Done well, you'll save 10 to 15 seconds per kilometre on the opening section of every run, and you'll have far fewer little tweaks and twinges.

The Six-Move Routine

This is the version we recommend to every Edge runner. Five minutes, no equipment, can be done in a hallway, a hotel room, or behind the start line of a parkrun. Do each move slowly the first time, then build the speed across reps.

1. Leg Swings (Front to Back) — 10 each leg

Hold a wall or lamp post for balance. Swing one leg forward and back like a pendulum, smooth and controlled. This wakes up the hip flexors and hamstrings without forcing them into a deep stretch.

2. Leg Swings (Side to Side) — 10 each leg

Same set-up, this time swinging the leg across the body and out to the side. Opens up the adductors and glute medius, both of which control your knee tracking when you run.

3. Walking Lunges with a Twist — 10 total

Step into a forward lunge. As your front foot lands, rotate your torso over the leading leg, arms wide. Step through, swap sides. This hits hips, thoracic spine and core in one move.

4. Hip Openers (World's Greatest Stretch, Walking Version) — 5 each side

Step into a deep lunge, place your opposite hand on the floor next to your front foot, then rotate the other arm up to the sky. Step through and repeat the other side. This is the single best mobility move for runners, full stop.

5. A-Skips — 20 metres

Skip forward, driving the knee up high and the opposite arm forward, with a sharp foot strike underneath you. This is the move that switches on cadence and stride mechanics. Don't worry if you feel uncoordinated for the first 20 metres, it gets easier.

6. Strides (Optional, but Recommended) — 4 × 20 seconds

Run at about 80 per cent effort for 20 seconds, walk back, repeat four times. This is the bridge between warm-up and run. After strides your first kilometre will feel dramatically smoother.

The Two Mistakes Beginners Make

When to Skip the Warm-Up (Sort of)

For an easy 5K shuffle, a slow 1 km opening is a perfectly acceptable warm-up on its own. You don't need to do drills before every run.

The non-negotiable times for the full warm-up are: any threshold or tempo session, any interval session, any race shorter than half marathon, and any run before 7 am when the body is genuinely cold. Skip it for those and you're losing fitness gains and adding injury risk.

The Bottom Line

Five minutes. Six moves. The opening of your run becomes more comfortable, the harder sessions actually hit their target paces, and the small tweaks and pulls drop almost to zero. Static stretches before a run do nothing useful. The right dynamic moves, done with intent, make every run that follows a better one.