Follow this three-step routine before your walk or run to prepare your muscles and joints for movement, address any stiffness, and prevent soreness. It focuses on the key lower-body areas: hips, buttocks, calves, and feet. For each move, begin by standing with your feet together, hands on your hips, or if needed, hold on to a steady surface for balance.

Leg swings. Shift your weight to your left foot. Slowly swing your right leg forward and back, increasing your range of motion by lifting your leg a little higher each time, up to about a foot or so off the ground. Tighten your buttock muscles on the backswing. Complete 10 to 20 swings, switch legs, and repeat.

Hip circles. Raise your right knee in front of you. Slowly move the knee clockwise in a circle, rotating from your hip. Do eight to 10 circles and lower your leg. Repeat, rotating the knee counterclockwise eight to 10 times. Repeat the sequence of circles with the left knee.

Foot rolls. Lift both heels, rolling onto your toes, and hold for a moment. Lower your heels to the ground, then immediately roll back onto your heels, pulling your toes up, and hold for a second. Repeat this continuous rolling motion until you’ve completed 10 to 20 rolls.

(Matthew Solan is executive editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.)

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