Let’s be real—most of us don’t run in perfect weather every day. Some mornings, you’re freezing your butt off waiting for the sun to rise. Other times, you’re sweating buckets before you even hit your first stride.
Living and coaching in Bali, I get a front-row seat to hot and humid running. But when I travel or coach folks in colder places, I’m reminded how much weather changes the warm-up game.
The key? Don’t use a cookie-cutter routine. You’ve got to adjust depending on whether you’re dealing with a deep freeze or a heatwave.
Warming Up in Cold Weather
When the temperature drops, warm-ups go from “nice to have” to “non-negotiable.” Cold air stiffens up your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They lose that springy feel, making them way more likely to get hurt if you don’t take your time warming up properly.
As realbuzz.com points out, trying to sprint with frozen limbs is like yanking a frozen branch—it’ll snap. I tell my runners in northern climates: winter means longer, more gradual warm-ups. Period.
Start layered up. I know it sounds obvious, but layers are part of the warm-up strategy. Hat, gloves, tights—stack it all on. Keep that heat locked in.
I’ve even done part of my warm-up inside when I’ve had to train or race in freezing temps. True story: I once prepped for a 5K in Boston by sitting in a heated car doing arm and leg swings next to the dashboard heater. Then I jogged lightly outside just before the gun went off. If you’ve got a hallway, garage, or even a warm living room—use it. It saves your legs from that brutal shock.
Another trick? Extend the “Raise” phase. Instead of jogging for 5–10 minutes, go for 10–15 (Verywell Fit backs this too). Start slow. I mean really slow. The goal is simple—get the blood moving and your body temp up.
On cold days, I don’t start any hard running until I’m sweating a bit under my jacket. Sometimes I’ll throw in a few 20-second pickups—not full-on strides, just enough to add some heat.
For the mobility part, zone in on the areas that turn into bricks in the cold. For me, it’s always my calves. They feel like concrete. So I hit ankle rolls, calf raises, and dynamic hamstring drills (those leg kick sweeps work wonders).
I saw a Reddit runner mention doing a short indoor bodyweight circuit before heading out—squats, lunges, jumping jacks. Smart move. You’re already warm by the time you step outside, which makes the cold less brutal.
Whatever you do, don’t go into long static stretches while you’re still cold. That’s a fast track to a pulled muscle. Imagine trying to stretch a cold, stiff piece of taffy—not happening.
Keep it dynamic. Keep moving. And if you stop mid-warm-up for any reason, you’ll notice how fast your body cools down again. Try not to break the rhythm.
Now let’s talk “Potentiate”—that final ramp-up before the main set. In cold weather, you might need an extra stride or two. Some runners I coach in Canada even throw in a short tempo segment—like a few minutes at moderate pace—just to hit that sweet spot where everything feels ready to fire.
One runner on r/AdvancedRunning shared their winter warm-up: 2 miles easy, 1 mile tempo, then 6–10 strides. That’s a solid effort—maybe overkill for newer runners, but it shows that when it’s freezing out, longer warm-ups aren’t just helpful—they’re necessary.
And here’s a simple tip that works every time: don’t take off your warm-up layers until the last possible second. At the track, I’ll do everything in sweats, then strip them off right before the first interval. And if it’s really cold, I’ll even throw a top back on between reps.
Yeah, it might feel like overkill—but you’re keeping your muscles ready to fire.
Cold Weather Warm-Up Checklist:
- Go longer—more jogging, more drills.
- Dress in layers and start indoors if possible.
- Stick to dynamic movements—no static stretching when cold.
- Don’t rush into your workout—feel warm, not just “warmed up.”
- Add extra strides or short tempo to feel sharp.
When you nail it, you’ll know.
I remember doing intervals on a frozen morning after a long warm-up and feeling like a beast. My breath came out in clouds, and I could see steam rising off my skin.
I felt unstoppable.
Warming Up in Hot Weather
Now let’s flip it. Training in the heat is a whole different beast. In Bali, we deal with 30°C (86°F) days all year long. That sticky, humid heat? It hits hard.
But here’s the upside: your muscles are already warm—no frozen calves or stiff hammies. The downside? Overheating and draining your tank before you even start your workout.
So in hot conditions, your warm-up has to be quick, smart, and cool—literally. You don’t need as much “Raise” time. Your heart rate is already higher at rest, and your body is fighting to stay cool before you even move.
Jogging too long in that heat? You’ll be drenched and zapped before the first rep. On scorching days, I’ll cap my jog at 5 minutes—just enough to loosen the legs. Sometimes I break it up: a few minutes of jogging, sip some water, maybe splash my face, then finish the rest.
The idea is to warm up—not burn out.
Here’s something that helps: do your mobility work in the shade. I’ve done track workouts where I jog a lap or two under the sun, then sneak over to a shaded patch of grass for drills. If you’ve got a breezy spot or AC room nearby, even better.
In Bali, tracks can feel like griddles at 3 p.m.—so I always try to cut my direct sun time. I also pour cold water down the back of my neck after the jog to stop myself from overheating.
Stick with mobility and dynamic stretches —but skip any extra jogging. Your muscles are already loose. The warm weather is like nature’s foam roller. You’ll notice your range of motion is better—you can move more easily. That’s a plus.
But don’t get lazy here. Leg swings, lunges, high knees—they still matter. Just shorten the routine. I always carry water and sip during my warm-up in the heat. Dehydration sneaks up fast, and you don’t want to start a speed session already cooked.
When it’s hot out—like sweat-dripping-before-you-start kind of hot—I still do strides before a workout, but I don’t force them. If my heart’s already hammering or I feel dizzy (that classic overheating red flag), I dial it down.
Two strides instead of four. Or maybe I ease off the speed. The point of a warm-up is to wake your body up—not fry it before the workout even starts.
Anyone who’s prepped for a race on a scorcher of a day knows the struggle. You want to be loose and ready, but not drenched and drained before the gun goes off. There’s a line—and in heat, it’s easy to cross it.
In really brutal conditions, I sometimes shorten my jog or even use the first mile of the workout as a rolling warm-up. This works especially well in longer races, where pros will start slower on purpose to ease into it.
You can’t exactly jog your first interval in training, but you can absolutely trim down your pre-workout mileage. Less is more when the sun’s baking your back.
And then there’s what I call the “sneaky cool-down”—but pre-run. I don’t always wait until after the workout to cool off. I’ve used cold towels, dunked my buff in icy water, stuck cubes under my cap… all just to keep the engine from overheating.
Some elites rock ice vests before big races. I go DIY—cold bandana, water poured straight onto my head, whatever works.
I’ve even jumped into a cold shower for 30 seconds after warming up and before a midday workout in Bali. That little reset helped drop my core temp just enough so I could grind through the session without melting.
No shower? A splash of bottle water does the trick too. You’re already warm. Now it’s about staying in the zone—not slipping into heat exhaustion.
Quick checklist for hot-weather warm-ups:
- Keep it short. You don’t need much time to warm up in the heat.
- Ease in. No need to jack up your heart rate before the main event.
- Stick to shade for mobility and drills whenever possible.
- Hydrate smart. Small sips before and during warm-up. Don’t chug.
- Use cooling tactics. Wet towels, light clothes, cold water on skin—whatever helps.
- Strides? Do just enough to feel sharp. If you’re roasting, back off.
Let me paint you a picture. If it’s blazing hot, here’s what I might do: jog five minutes, do my drills under a tree, knock out two strides instead of four, and call it a day around 10–12 minutes total. I’ll probably also start the workout slower and sneak in some extra water breaks.
And here’s something I drill into my athletes (and remind myself): Don’t beat yourself up for cutting the warm-up short. That’s not slacking—that’s smart running.
I’ve seen folks stubbornly go through their full 2-mile warm-up in 35°C heat, only to crash and burn when the real work starts. I’ve also seen the opposite—people who skip the warm-up entirely because it’s “already hot out”—and then boom: calf strain.
Just because your skin’s hot doesn’t mean your muscles are ready to sprint. There’s a big difference.
One of the worst heat workouts I ever did? Mile repeats under the midday Bali sun. Bad planning on my part—but I adjusted. Short jog, drills in the shade, and kept my ego in check.
By the last rep, I was gassed, but I didn’t blow up or pull anything. I credit that to listening to my body and not being stubborn about the warm-up. I also had to swallow my pride with slower splits.
But hey, it was 90°F with humidity that could choke a gorilla. That’s not the day to chase PRs—it’s the day to stay upright and get through it.
So here’s the deal: whether it’s freezing or frying outside, the warm-up matters. It’s just that your focus shifts.
Cold days? You take your time, get everything firing. Hot days? You stay light, sharp, and don’t overdo it.
Think of the warm-up as your body’s thermostat control—fight the cold, manage the heat.