Written by: Javier Porras-Gil
You signed up for the Ottawa Road Race Weekend, you have been building your base cardio with run-walks and fueling yourself to make you stronger! And now you ask yourself what you can do to make those pesky training runs easier and less tiring? Well, look no further! Here is a short tutorial on A and B-skips to get your body and mind ready to run.
A-skips and B-skips are simple running warm-up drills that help prepare the body before a run by activating the big muscles that can help you trot along! To do an A-skip, stand tall, look forward, and keep your arms bent like a light jogging motion. Lift one knee up to about hip height, pulling your toes up toward your shin, then place your foot back down softly under your body as you make a small skip onto the other side. This movement resembles your “high knees” drill but also moving forward as you skip. Keep the movement slow, controlled, and rhythmic. For a beginner, it can help to first practice it as a marching motion before adding the skip.
A B-skip starts the same way, but after lifting the knee, you gently extend (straighten) the lower leg forward before pulling the foot back down underneath you to land softly. The movement should stay smooth and relaxed rather than forceful. For beginners, the goal is not speed but feeling tall, light, and controlled. These drills are useful before running because they warm up the hips, calves, and ankles, improve coordination, and help teach better running mechanics such as knee lift, posture, and foot placement.
Remember! The goal of running mechanics is to imagine you are perpetually falling forward and your steps (ideally the ball of your feet) should be right under your hip to keep you moving with minimal effort! It is always a good idea to do some research and look into running coaches or physical therapists that can help you with your running gait.
