Don’t shy away from unplanned, unstructured activity in the rest of your life just because you’re a runner. Resting up when not running may have made sense when we all worked in steel mills or on farms, but today the opposite issue is more often the problem—we’re sort of in a constant half-slumber from barely moving. I’ve detailed throughout the book how our sedentary lifestyles compromise our running ability. Here’s one more nudge along those lines: Moderate activity soon before running, like gardening, playing with your children, walking the dog, or raking the yard, will serve as a warm-up. It will help to bridge the gap between sitting for hours and running with good form.
If these sorts of moderate activities interfere with a run you do soon after, then you’re that much more in need of a good whole-body stretching and strengthening program.