Want To Run Faster With Less Effort? Try This Quick & Simple Warm Up
Before a run, you might stretch your calves, do a few lunges, or even foam roll for a couple of minutes if you're feeling ambitious. These are the classic running warm-ups you know and love, but new research suggests there might be something else missing from your pre-run routine that could shave seconds off your time and reduce perceived effort. And it's not just another physical drill or stretch.
A simple addition to your warm-up made runners 2%–3% faster
In a 2026 study published in the European Journal of Sport Science, researchers asked 25 people to run one mile after three different warm-up protocols: standard physical warm-up, that same physical warm-up with short cognitive tasks mixed in, or no warm-up at all.
The cognitive tasks weren't complicated. They completed a couple of reaction-time games and decision-making challenges on a smartphone app, each lasting about 3 minutes. Runners in this groups completed four of these brief mental exercises before and after their physical warm-ups (jogging, strides, dynamic stretches).
The researchers found that runners finished 8 to 11 seconds faster after doing the combined warm-up, compared to when they only warmed up physically. That's a 2%–3% improvement, which might not seem like a lot, but is meaningful for anyone chasing a PR or just trying to feel stronger on race day.
Even more interesting, the runners also reported less perceived effort during the run after doing the combined warm-up, which showed up in lower average heart rates. This means they ran faster while feeling like they were working less hard.
Why priming your brain helps your body perform
What's the connection between cognitive exercises and faster runs? The researchers point to something called cognitive priming. This essentially means waking up the parts of your brain responsible for focus, decision-making, and self-regulation before asking your body to perform.
These mental processes, known as executive functions, help you maintain pace, push through discomfort, and make split-second adjustments while running. When you engage them before you start, you're giving your nervous system a head start.
The study authors suggest this priming may activate prefrontal networks (the brain regions that govern goal-directed behavior) and potentially induce a flow-like state, which you might experience as a feeling being totally locked in and moving efficiently.
Runners in the combined warm-up conditions also reported feeling significantly more "ready to perform" before their time trial began.
Additionally, researchers say the combined warmup could possibly have a calming effect. Engaging in focused cognitive tasks may help tamper pre-run anxiety by shifting attention outward and promoting parasympathetic activity. This translates to lower anxiety, lower heart rate, and smoother performance.
How to add a mental warm-up to your routine
The best part of this study is that you don't need lab equipment or an appointment with a sports psychologist to work it into your routine.
Mix brief cognitive challenges into your physical warm-up
You don't want to do a 30-minute brain-training session before you lace up. If you tire out your brain and induce mental fatigue, you will end up hurting your performance. In the study, they had participants do 3-minute cognitive tasks between physical drills. Short bursts keep you sharp without draining you.
Time it right
Do your cognitive task, then a physical drill, then another cognitive task, then more movement. The alternating pattern seems to be part of what makes this work. It keeps your brain engaged without overloading it.
Find a fun, accessible challenge
Participants in the study used a specialized app for their mental warm-up, but their are lots of alternatives you can use to replicate the effect. You want to make sure you pick something that is challenging, but you enjoy enough to actually work it into your routine. Options include:
- Brain-training apps like Lumosity, Peak, or Elevate that focus on reaction time, task-switching, and memory
- Classic puzzles like Wordle, Sudoku, or a crossword
- Mental math problems
Start small.
Try adding just one or two 3-minute cognitive tasks to your existing warm-up and see how you feel. Pay attention to your sense of readiness and how the first mile feels compared to usual.
The takeaway
Your warm-up isn't just about loosening muscles and raising your heart rate. It's about preparing your entire system, brain included.
A few minutes of focused mental engagement before you run could help you feel more ready, run faster, and perceive less effort along the way.
So why not add in a few minutes of brain games before your next tempo run. A fun, little brain-teaser never hurt anyone!
