Warming up before going for a run sounds like the right thing to do. However, SINTEF researcher Torstein Dalen-Lorentsen, who has a PhD in sports medicine and has worked closely with elite sportsmen and women, doesn’t think that warming up is appropriate in all situations. He believes that it all depends on the kind of activity session you’re planning to do. Because warming up and the activity itself are essentially the same thing. So, when should you warm up, and when is there really no need?
Dalen-Lorentsen believes that the aim is to find the right balance – to warm up just enough to get your body in exactly the right condition to perform. The more intense and brief your activity is, such as a sprint race, for example, the longer your warm-up should be.
But if you warm up for too long, it will have a negative impact on your performance.
