A physical therapist says doing these mobility drills before a run can help you avoid injury

In my other life as a personal trainer I often have clients come to sessions with war stories of twisting their ankle or straining their knees or hips during a run. Running injuries are fairly common, of course, but a decent warm-up can significantly reduce the risk. This is because your muscles and joints will be more flexible and prepared for physical activity.

Skip the warm-up and you could suffer from painful strains, pulls or tears that take ages to recover from. At the very least, not warming up before a run (and indeed any workout) could mean you don’t perform as efficiently during your session, getting less out of the time you've carved out to exercise.

To get you started, physical therapist W. Zach Smith from HIDEF Physical Therapy has created this quick mobility workout for runners to do at home before your run.

“These drills are great for runners because this warm-up is simple and easy, yet covers all the major joints of the legs and spine that are involved in running,” Smith tells me. “Many runners go straight out the door with no stretching and the first mile or so they feel tight and just aren't moving how they want.

“This short mobility routine will help not only progress their running but also lay the foundation for a consistent mobility routine, which is massively important.”

How to do the mobility drills

5 Minute Mobility | Full Body w/ Timer - YouTube

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More tips for avoiding injury

Invest in running shoes

“For new runners, I always suggest getting fitted for good running shoes,” says Smith. “Make sure you are changing your shoes out according to the recommendations.” It's a commonly held view that running shoes need replacing after 300 to 500 miles of wear, although a lot will depend on how and where you run, and the style of shoe you use. Check with the brand you bought from for its guidance and keep tabs on the milage using a running app like Strava.

Don’t run too fast too soon

“Aside from that, the most important part of starting any new activity is the ramp up,” says Smith. “The way people get overuse injuries quickly is to ramp up too fast.

“It takes the body time to adapt to the force of the impact of running. The forces on your legs are two to three times your bodyweight while jogging.”

Rest if you injure yourself

“If you hurt your ankle on your run you should definitely get it checked by a physical therapist,” says Smith. “Depending on the severity of the injury, you may or may not need some sort of treatment. We see it so often where people don't get treatment and then they deal with recurrent sprains and a tight ankle for the rest of their life.”

“In general, if the ankle is swollen and painful, you shouldn't run on it,” says Smith. “Also, if you aren't confident that you won't sprain it again, you probably shouldn't run on it.