How to Properly Warm Up Before Sprinting

A proper warm-up is an important part of any type of exercise routine, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). It fills your muscles with oxygen and slowly gets your heart and respiratory rates up to prepare your body for activity.

The AHA recommends warming up at least 5 to 10 minutes before any activity, calling for longer warm-ups for more intense exercise. Your warm-up should include the activity you’re planning to do, but at a slower pace.

Warm-ups can help sprinters optimize their strength and speed, according to a research review published in 2024. They can also help you maintain flexibility, prevent injury, and enhance your power, according to the review’s authors.

But it’s important to make sure you’re doing the right type of warm-up so you can get the most benefit from it. An inappropriate warm-up for your activity could actually hinder your progress and negatively affect your strength, the review’s authors conclude.

Here are some key warm-up moves for sprinters, plus tips for safe stretching.

What Type of Warm-Up to Do

You may have heard the terms “dynamic stretch” and “static stretch” in reference to warming up before activity.

Dynamic stretches involve moving your muscles and joints, mimicking the activity you’re going to do, according to Cleveland Clinic. This increases blood flow through your muscles, which raises their temperature and loosens them up.

Static stretches involve holding a pose while stretching a muscle as far as you can, according to Cleveland Clinic. This makes them more of a relaxation movement, better for a cooldown than for a warm-up.

The authors of the previously mentioned research review suggest that your warm-up should focus on exercises that enhance your power and note that dynamic stretching offers greater benefits for performance than static stretching.

In fact, static stretching before activity may even decrease your power and performance, according to Cleveland Clinic. Dynamic warm-ups, on the other hand, play a crucial role in helping you perform your best while preventing injury, according to an article published in April 2025.

So save the static stretches for your cooldown and focus on these dynamic moves before your sprint session.

Warm-Up Exercises

These warm-up exercises can help get your heart rate up while mimicking the movements you’ll make while sprinting to properly prep your muscles for your workout.

Jog in Place

Jog in place for at least 10 minutes, or do two laps around a track before your sprint workout.

A slow jog can still elevate your heart rate and raise your body temperature, according to the AHA. This will prepare you for the arduous sprint training that follows.

At the end of your jog, you may be sweating slightly but shouldn’t be drenched. While a proper warm-up may lead to mild sweating, it shouldn’t leave you exhausted, according to Mayo Clinic.

If you’d like, you can even start with walking and work your way up to a jog, Mayo Clinic suggests.

Modified Hurdler's Stretch

Loosen your hamstrings and calf muscles with a modified hurdler's stretch. Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit on the ground, with your left leg straight out in front of you. Bend your right knee so that the sole of your right foot is pressed against your left thigh.
2. Keeping your back flat, bend at the waist and try to touch the toes of your left foot.
3. Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
4. Complete two to four repetitions with each leg.

Heel-Toe Drills

Heel-toe drills can help stretch your calf and the muscles that stretches along your shin bone. Here’s how to do them:

1. Take a step forward, landing on the heel of your front foot. At the same time, raise yourself up on the toes of your back foot.
2. Use a rolling motion to transfer your weight from heel to toe for each step.
3. Perform the heel-toe drill for about 20 meters, or 66 feet.

High-Knee March With Butt Kicks

Extend the range of motion in your hips with these marches, which can also help you maintain proper sprinting position. Here’s how to do them:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
2. Lift your right knee up above your waist, as though you’re taking an exaggerated step.
3. Bring your arms up, with your fingertips pointing toward the sky, as you raise your knee.
4. Lower and repeat on the left side.
5. Next, with your knee bent, bring your right heel all the way back to your right buttock (or as far as you can go).
6. Then lower and repeat on the left side.
7. Once you’re comfortable with the movement, you can quicken your pace if possible.
8. Complete 20 meters of marches, or 66 feet.

Front and Side Lunges

These lunges are a key part of any sprint warm-up. Here’s how to do them:

1. Stand straight, with your arms at your side.
2. Take a step forward with your right leg, bending both knees as your right foot touches the floor. Do not let your left knee touch the ground.
3. Balance in the lunge position for three seconds.
4. Then, step forward with your left leg, repeating the movement and ending in a lunge position. Hold again for three seconds.
5. Continue to repeat the movement on both sides until you have “walked” forward for 10 repetitions on each leg.
6. Next, step to the side with one leg, bending your knee as you land. Keep your back straight and hold for three seconds before returning to the start position.
7. Repeat the movement with your other leg.
8. Do a total of 10 repetitions on each side.

Accelerations

This can be the last part of your warm-up, once your muscles are primed for activity.

Sprint for 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet), then stop. Rest for one to four minutes. Repeat the accelerations 8 to 15 times.

After this, you are properly warmed up and can work on your technique for relays, hurdles, or other sprint events.

Tips

Always be sure to maintain proper form during your warm-up. This can help prevent injuries and strain, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

And don’t rush. It’s important to give yourself enough time to get into your warm-up, then progress from your warm-up to your workout and your workout to your cooldown, according to the AHA.

Above all, listen to your body. If you have any pain during your warm-up or your sprint, stop exercising and check with a doctor.

If you have an underlying health condition or haven’t exercised in a while, it’s best to check with a doctor before you even begin. They can advise whether these exercises are right for you.