Is Warming Up Really Necessary Before Running or Weight Lifting?

Jun 11

Many people embarking on a fitness journey wonder: Do I really need to warm up? Some skip warm-ups due to time constraints or impatience, while others swear by them. In this post, we’ll explore what recent science (from the last five years) says about warming up before running and weight lifting. We’ll keep it approachable and conversational, but grounded in evidence-based recommendations. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of why warm-ups matter (or if they do at all), and how to incorporate them into your routine for both running and lifting.

Why Warm Up in the First Place?

A warm-up is typically light physical activity or dynamic movements done before a workout. The goal is literally to “warm” your body – raising muscle temperature and heart rate – and to prepare you mentally and physically for exercisepmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Warming up increases blood flow to muscles, enhances joint mobility, and primes your nervous system for intense activityresearchgate.net. In theory, this should improve performance and reduce the risk of injury by making muscles and joints more pliable and responsiveresearchgate.net.

But is this really necessary? Let’s dive into what research shows for two popular activities: running and weight lifting.

Warming Up for Running: Performance and Injury Prevention

If you’re a runner, you’ve probably been told to jog lightly and stretch before hitting your full stride. Recent studies back up the idea that a proper warm-up can boost running performance. For example, a 2023 study found that doing some higher-intensity bursts as part of a warm-up improved 5K race times by about 6 seconds compared to a low-intensity warm-upjssm.org jssm.org. The runners who included short, fast runs in their warm-up had better pacing and overall faster times in the 5000-meter trial. Another experiment tested different warm-up intensities (light, moderate, high) for a 1600m run and found the moderate-intensity warm-up produced the fastest times when there was a 20-minute gap before the runresearchgate.net. Even with a wait between warming up and racing (as often happens in events), warming up remained beneficial for performanceresearchgate.net.

Warm-ups don’t just help race times – they can improve running economy too. Running economy is how efficiently your body uses oxygen at a given pace. A 2020 study reported that a plyometric warm-up (think jumping and dynamic moves) improved running economy by about 4–9%, meaning participants used less energy at the same running speed after warming upfrontiersin.org frontiersin.org. This can translate to feeling smoother and less strained during the run.

How about injury prevention for runners? Common sense says that starting a run with cold, tight muscles could invite pulls or strains. Indeed, comprehensive warm-up programs have been shown to reduce injury rates in sports. One meta-analysis of youth sports found warm-up interventions cut sports injuries by roughly 36%pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. In soccer, the well-known FIFA 11+ warm-up routine (a series of dynamic exercises) not only lowered injury incidence but also improved players’ strength and agilitynature.com nature.com. While these studies aren’t about casual joggers, they highlight a trend: warming up tends to make athletes less prone to injuries. Experts argue that by improving muscle flexibility and joint mobility, a good warm-up helps you perform at your best while minimizing the risk of muscle strains and sprainsresearchgate.net.

It’s worth noting that directly proving “warm-ups prevent injuries” is tricky – after all, you can’t easily run a study where half the runners never warm up for weeks and see who gets injured. However, the consensus in sports science is that a well-designed warm-up before running is highly recommended for safety and performanceresearchgate.net. Even a brief warm-up (5–10 minutes of easy jogging or dynamic drills) gets your blood flowing and muscles ready, which likely lowers the chance of something going pop when you sprint off.

Key takeaway for runners: Warming up before running does help. It can make you faster and more efficient, and it likely helps prevent injuries. Focus on dynamic movements – like brisk walking or slow jogging, leg swings, butt kicks, or short strides – rather than long static stretches. Save any heavy static stretching for after the run or another time.

Warming Up for Weight Lifting: Better Lifts and Safer Workouts

Now, what about weight training? If you’re eager to hit the weights, warm-ups might feel like a chore. But skipping a warm-up before heavy lifting is like driving a car in winter without letting it warm up – it’s doable, but not ideal for performance or longevity.

Research shows that warming up can improve strength and power during lifting sessions. One study in 2020 tested different warm-up strategies for squats and bench pressesresearchgate.net researchgate.net. The researchers found that when participants did a specific warm-up with heavier loads (close to their training weight), they lifted with higher bar speeds and power output in the subsequent sets, compared to when they only did very light warm-upsresearchgate.net researchgate.net. In simple terms: doing a few ramp-up sets (gradually increasing weight) prepared their muscles and nervous system to perform better on the heavy sets. Other investigations have similarly reported improved strength performance and more repetitions after a proper warm-up with substantial loadsresearchgate.net researchgate.net. The warm-up triggers phenomena like increased muscle fiber activation and even “post-activation potentiation” – a temporary boost in muscle force output following prior exertionresearchgate.net researchgate.net. It also raises body temperature and reduces muscle and tendon stiffness, so your muscles contract more efficientlyresearchgate.net.

Besides performance, there’s the safety aspect. Lifting heavy weights with cold muscles and joints could set you up for strains or injury. While direct experimental evidence in weight lifting is limited, the principles carry over: warm muscles are more pliable and can handle stress betterresearchgate.net. A dynamic warm-up for lifting might involve light cardio (to break a sweat), dynamic stretching (arm circles, hip swings), and then sport-specific moves – for example, doing the lift with just the bar or light weights first. This kind of routine is widely recommended by coaches to prevent injuries and enhance lifting form and range of motionresearchgate.net.

One caution for lifters: avoid long, intense static stretching right before strength training. Static stretches (holding a pose for 30+ seconds) can increase flexibility, but they temporarily might decrease maximal strength or explosive ability if done immediately before liftingresearchgate.net bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com. For instance, a recent meta-analysis confirmed that static stretching alone tended to reduce explosive performance, whereas dynamic stretching significantly improved itbmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com. So, if you like to stretch, it’s fine – just do dynamic style (active movements) as part of your warm-up, or save the deep static stretches for after your workout. This way, you stay limber without sacrificing strength.

Key takeaway for weight lifting: Always do some warm-up before hoisting heavy weights. It can be as simple as 5 minutes of light cardio and a few lighter sets of your planned exercise. This will ramp up your power and help protect against muscle or tendon injuries. Skip the prolonged static stretch before a max squat; instead, do movements that mimic the exercise (e.g. bodyweight or bar-only squats) to wake up the right muscles.

How to Warm Up Properly: General Guidelines

Warming up doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. Here are some science-backed tips for an effective warm-up routine for both running and lifting:

Keep it dynamic and activity-specific: Start with general full-body movement (like light jogging, cycling, or jumping jacks) to raise your heart rate. Then include movements that mimic your workout. Runners might add some skips, high-knees, or short accelerations. Lifters can do rehearsal sets (e.g. push-ups before bench press, bodyweight squats before weighted squats)researchgate.net researchgate.net. Dynamic warm-ups enhance flexibility, mobility, and neuromuscular activation, which helps you perform better and saferresearchgate.net.
Don’t overdo it: More warm-up isn’t always better. You want to feel warm and limber, not exhausted. Research suggests a balancing act: if you do too little, you might not see much benefit; but if you do too much or too intense, you can actually cause fatigue and diminish performancepmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Most studies find that around 5–15 minutes of moderate activity is enough to get benefits without wearing you outresearchgate.net pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. For example, one meta-analysis noted dynamic stretching is most effective in a ~7–10 minute window for boosting explosive performancebmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com. So, aim for a warm-up that is long enough to break a light sweat, but not so long that you’re sweating buckets or feeling tired.
Mind the intensity: Start easy and gradually ramp up. If you’re about to do a hard run, finish your warm-up with a few short faster bursts (strides) to prime your enginesjssm.org jssm.org. If you’re lifting, gradually add weight in your warm-up sets so your muscles get used to heavier loads progressivelyresearchgate.net researchgate.net. Going from 0 to 100 without progression is a shock to the system.
Stay flexible (figuratively!): Tailor your warm-up to your needs. On a cold morning, you might need a bit longer to get warm. If you’re older or coming back from a break, a thorough warm-up is even more important to combat stiffness. Conversely, on a hot day or if you’re already loose, your warm-up can be shorter. Listen to your body – the goal is simply to feel ready and “in the groove” for your workout.
Consistency matters: Making warming up a habit can condition your body over time. By consistently doing a warm-up, you might improve your flexibility and responsiveness in the long run, potentially boosting performance and reducing injury risk over the course of your trainingresearchgate.net researchgate.net. It also serves as a mental cue – a routine that tells your brain “it’s go time,” helping you focus on the workout ahead.

Conclusion: Warm-Up Wins

So, is warming up necessary? The science leans strongly towards yes – for both runners and lifters. A proper warm-up prepares your body by increasing blood flow, loosening muscles, and dialing in your nervous system. For runners, this means better endurance and speed (plus less chance of pulling a muscle in that first sprint)jssm.org pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. For weightlifters, it means being able to lift more explosively and with a lower risk of injury to muscles or jointsresearchgate.net researchgate.net. While you might occasionally get away with skipping a warm-up when time is short, doing even a brief one is worth it for the payoff in performance and safety.

The bottom line: Before you run or pump iron, take those few minutes to warm up. Think of it as revving the engine of a car on a cold day – a little prep makes everything run smoother. Your future self (and your muscles and tendons) will thank you!

References

Li F. et al. (2023). A systematic review and net meta-analysis of the effects of different warm-up methods on the acute effects of lower limb explosive strength. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil, 15(1): 145 bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com.
Sople D. & Wilcox R. (2025). Dynamic Warm-ups Play Pivotal Role in Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil, 7(2): 101023 researchgate.net researchgate.net.
McGowan CJ et al. (2023). Revisiting the 'Whys' and 'Hows' of the Warm-Up: Are We Asking the Right Questions? Sports Medicine, 53(10): 2093-2096 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Ribeiro B et al. (2020). The Role of Specific Warm-up during Bench Press and Squat Exercises: A Novel Approach. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17(18): 6882 researchgate.net researchgate.net.
Neto T et al. (2023). Effects of High-Intensity Warm-Up on 5000-Meter Performance Time in Trained Runners. J Sports Sci Med, 22(2): 254-260 jssm.org.
Crain CM et al. (2021). Warm-up intensity influences running performance despite prolonged recovery. J Sci Med Sport, 24(8): 829-834 researchgate.net researchgate.net.
Wei C et al. (2020). A Plyometric Warm-Up Protocol Improves Running Economy in Recreational Endurance Athletes. Front Physiol, 11:197 frontiersin.org frontiersin.org.
Ding L et al. (2022). Effectiveness of Warm-Up Intervention Programs to Prevent Sports Injuries among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19(10): 6336 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Alghadir AH et al. (2025). Comparing the effectiveness of the FIFA 11+ warm-up and conventional warm-up in enhancing performance and mitigating injury risk. Sci Reports, 15: 9430 nature.com nature.com.
Behm DG et al. (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 41(1): 1-11 researchgate.net researchgate.net. (Included for context on static stretching effects.)

Jay Mizuta