How to use your IZOM warming balm before a running session

Before running, we often think about shoes, the weather, the type of session, and sometimes hydration. We less often think about how we actually ease into the effort. However, a running session begins long before the first few meters. It starts with the warm-up.

This is where your IZOM warming balm can find its place. Not as a shortcut to replace a warm-up, but as a comforting gesture to integrate into a more complete preparation routine. The idea is simple: to accompany the feeling of getting started before moving on to mobility, activation, and the start of your run.

When should you apply it?

The most logical time to apply it is before your warm-up, just before you begin your preparation. This allows enough time for it to become a true preparatory gesture, followed by a few minutes of movement.

In a simple routine, it might look like this: you apply your warming balm, massage the areas you want to prepare, and then move on to a progressive warm-up. Only then does the session begin.

This logic works well because, in running, the body responds better when it transitions progressively from rest to effort. Serious recommendations for warm-ups follow this principle: start gently, raise body temperature, mobilize, then run. Your warming balm therefore integrates before this build-up, not in its place.

On which areas should you use it before running?

Before a running session, the idea is to target the areas most used during your stride. Most often, this means the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and sometimes the glutes, depending on your habits and the type of session planned.

You don't need to apply it everywhere. The most consistent approach is to stick to the areas you often feel at the start or those that work the hardest for you. For example, before a hill or interval session, some people particularly like to prepare the backs of their legs and thighs. Before a more relaxed outing, the gesture can be lighter and quicker.

The important thing is to maintain a targeted preparation approach, not to overload your routine.

How exactly do you apply it?

The simplest way is to use your warming balm as a short preparatory massage. You apply it to the chosen area, then massage for a few moments to spread the product and support local preparation.

The gesture should remain simple. You can use slow, steady movements, without applying strong pressure. The goal is not to aggress the muscle just before a session, but to create a transition between rest and activity. A few moments are usually enough to integrate this into your routine.

Once the warming balm is applied, you can move directly to your warm-up. This is where the body truly makes the difference.

What should you do immediately after?

After application, it's best to follow with a dynamic warm-up. This is an important point: the warming balm can aid preparation, but it is movement that truly prepares you for running.

Before a running session, the most consistent warm-up often remains a mix of progressive activation and dynamic movements. In practice, this could be a few minutes of active walking or slow jogging, then some simple movements to wake up the legs.

For example, you can follow with:

• a few very gradual minutes
• some ankle and hip mobility exercises
• some light knee raises or butt kicks
• then a gentle start to your run

For a more intense session, you can extend this build-up with a slightly more structured warm-up. For an easy run, a shorter routine is often sufficient.

In which cases is it particularly beneficial?

Warming balm before a running session can be particularly pleasant when you go for a run with a feeling of stiffness, especially in the legs. This is often the case in the morning, in winter, after a day of sitting, or before a session where you know the start is crucial.

It can integrate well before a classic jog as well as before a more intense session, provided you maintain the right logic: the warming balm accompanies the preparation, then movement takes over.

This place in the routine is important because it remains consistent with what quality running resources say: to properly prepare the body for running, you must first gradually get started.

What you should not expect from it

The most important thing is to maintain realistic expectations. Your IZOM warming balm can enrich the preparation moment, provide a pleasant sensation of warmth, and help you get into your routine more comfortably. However, it does not replace a warm-up, it does not correct poorly managed load, and it should not be used to mask unusual pain.

If an area is frankly painful, swollen, red, very hot, or related to a recent injury, the logic changes. In this case, general recommendations around heat advise caution, as heat is primarily associated with sensations of stiffness and tight muscles, not acute, recently occurred injuries.

In other words, warming balm has its place in a preparation routine. It is not intended to bypass warning signs.

A simple routine before running

Before a running session, you can keep a very simple routine.

You apply your warming balm to the areas you want to prepare. You take a short moment to massage. Then you follow with a few minutes of progressive activation. Afterwards, you let the session start gently.

It is often this type of routine that works best: few steps, but consistent ones.

Conclusion

Using your IZOM warming balm before a running session is primarily about integrating it at the right time. The most logical approach is to apply it before your warm-up, to the areas you want to prepare, with a short and simple massage, and then follow with a proper warm-up.

The warming balm can accompany the sensation of preparation. The warm-up itself truly prepares the body for running. And it's the combination of the two that provides a more comfortable, fluid, and coherent routine before the session.

Want to integrate IZOM into your routine before running?

Find our IZOM Athlétique warming balm on our website.