As previously mentioned, to properly stretch the body needs several minutes of warming up. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology now recommends to begin with rotations, starting from one extremity to the other, prior to a light aerobic activity to lubricate your joints with synovial fluid. In following the recommendations and warm-up practices I've incorporated for myself and my runners over the years, the following is a recommended warm-up routine to preclude stretching:
1. Wrist Rotations. Rotate the wrists 10 times in the clockwise direction, then rotate the wrists 10 times in the counter-clockwise direction.
2. Elbow Rotations. Your arms are going to move similar to a "jumping rope" motion. Rotate the arms at the elbows in a forward "jumping rope" direction 10 times and then 10 times in a backward "jumping rope" direction.
3. Shoulder Rolls. With your arms placed by your side roll your shoulders in a shrugging motion forward 10 times and then 10 times backwards.
4. Shoulder Rotations. With your arms extended outward rotate your arms in a clockwise direction 10 times and then 10 times in a counter-clockwise direction.
5. Neck Rotations. With your arms placed by your side slowly roll your head 10 times in a clockwise direction and then 10 times in the counter-clockwise direction. It is key that this stretch be done slowly.
6. Hip Rotations. With the hands placed on the hips slowly roll the hips 10 times in a clockwise direction and then roll the hips in the counter-clockwise direction 10 times.
7. Knee Rotations. With the hands placed lightly on the knees, not to provide weight but only to assist in balancing, slowly do 10 rotations with the knees in a clockwise direction and then 10 rotations in the counter-clockwise direction.
8. Ankle Rotations. While seated on the ground, place one leg bent over the other so that the area just above the ankle rests on the thigh of the opposing leg (ex. the area just above right ankle rests on the left thigh). Rotate the foot in a clockwise direction 10 times and then rotate the foot in a counter-clockwise direction 10 times, then alternate to the other ankle and repeat.
9. Warm-up Run (Jog). Depending on the training level and distance of the athlete this may be modified. The MIT recommendation is a light aerobic activity for 5-10 minutes. For the 5k Cross-Country I've had my runners run a one-mile warm-up.
While you may want to run and take off quickly, let me remind you that the warm-up is indeed a warm-up. The warm-up is also not the time to show that you're the top runner on the team. When one of your teammates or a more experienced runner cautions that you may want to slow down or it's just a warm-up, the runner is likely giving you good advice. Setting records on the warm-up is not the intent of the warm-up and could result in injury.
