Photo: Twenty20

This article originally appeared on Life by Daily Burn.

If you’re one of those runners who sprints away from a warm-up and cool-down as fast as you do a finish line, you’re missing out on some great benefits. Plus, you could be putting yourself at risk for injury.

According to Lauren Loberg, doctor of physical therapy and board certified clinical orthopedic specialist with TRIA Orthopaedic Center, an effective warm-up will prime your muscles for the run, therefore helping to prevent muscle strain and joint pain. Similarly, letting your body find its cool post-run allows your heart rate to drop back to normal, and is a great way to prevent muscle soreness.

Get into the habit of spending just a few extra minutes pre- and post-jog to stretch it out with the following moves. These running stretches are so quick and easy, you really have no excuse not to do them.

RELATED: 50 Running Resources for Speed, Strength and Nutrition

3 Before-You-Go Running Stretches to Loosen Up

Flow through the following three stretches to get blood moving to common problem areas — like knees, hips and ankles — prior to your run. “Increased blood flow and warmth will make your tissue more pliable and your muscles ready to perform,” Loberg explains. Keep in mind: You don’t want to stick to a static hold with these stretches. (Save that for post-workout!) Instead, continuously move back and forth between sides.

1. Groin Stretch

How to: Stand with legs a few steps wider than shoulder-width apart (a). Shift to your weight to your right side, bending your knee to sink into a lateral lunge. Make sure the toes and the knee of your bent leg points straight ahead (b). Hold for 10-20 seconds before shifting to the other side. Repeat 3-4 times.

RELATED: Got Tight Hip Flexors? How To Stretch and Strengthen Them

2. Hamstring Stretch

How to: Begin standing with your feet together (a). Step one foot back about two feet. Hinge forward from the hips, keeping your back flat and both legs straight (b). Hold for 10-20 seconds before stepping the back leg through to the front and alternating sides. Repeat 3-4 times.

3. Ankle Circles 

How to: Stand tall. Shift your weight to your right side and lift your left foot off the floor a few inches (a). Roll the ankle of your raised foot in a circular motion, making sure to roll in both directions (b). Alternate feet after 10-20 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times.

RELATED: How to Score Perfect Running Form Like the Pros

3 Stretches to Bring Down Body Heat Post-Run

Loberg recommends these staple yoga moves to stretch out all the areas you taxed during your run — namely your hamstrings, calves, hips and quads. Move swiftly from one pose to the next, or reset in between each. For extra TLC after these stretches, use a foam roller to screen for areas that are especially tender…

I love wearing makeup. Sparkly eye shadow and glittery lip gloss; creamy blush spread onto the apples of my cheeks; the darkest mascara, applied in several coats to resemble the faux lashes I'd rather not pony up the cash to buy. And I top it all off with four sprays of makeup-setting spray. But as much as I love makeup, I have a dirty secret: I hate washing my face. Many mornings, I wake up to "raccoon eyes" caused by my failure to remove my waterproof mascara before bed. Washing my face at night has always seemed like too many steps—eye makeup remover on cotton balls, cleanser, wash, rinse, repeat. And even then, it felt like my skin was never truly clean.

That all changed when I received a free sample of bareMinerals Oil Obsessed Total Cleansing Oil ($30; bareminerals.com, sephora.com, and nordstrom.com). I was skeptical at first. Could my makeup-covered face really be completely cleansed with oil? With my combination skin, why would I want to make my T-zone shinier than it already was? But a beauty editor friend had been touting the benefits of cleansing oil for nearly a year, and I finally decided to try it.

RELATED: 6 Facial Cleansing Oils Dermatologists Swear By

Within weeks, I swear my skin was smoother, breakout-free and—I apologize for being totally cliché—glowing. At $30, it’s pricier than some drugstore brands, but it's honestly the most amazing product I've put on my face in a long time. To use, I spread the lightweight formula all over my face with my fingers. The bottle recommends using three to four pumps, but I find that two is usually plenty. Once my skin is completely covered, I wet my fingertips, which transforms the oil into a milky substance. Bonus: it smells amazing.

The best part? After I dry my face, my towel comes away completely clean, with none of the dreaded black marks I used to get after washing off mascara. So not only does this cleanser let me wash my face with minimal effort, but it also makes my laundry a little easier to do. And if one skincare product can do both those things, well, I call that a win.

When I was 13, my aunt gifted me Clinique’s 3-Step System for Christmas. The pastel-hued skincare regimen included the cosmetic brand's mild face soap, toner, and popular Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion in its signature pale yellow bottle. My aunt was working as a Clinique saleswoman at the time, and she swore that using this trio every day on my face would help me achieve a perfectly smooth complexion.

Fast forward 30 years, and I'm still using my Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion ($27; sephora.com, nordstrom.com, or macys.com) every day. The rich, creamy formula is easily absorbed and literally feels like a drink for my skin. I’m in my 40s now, and while I do have some lines on my face, overall I think my skin looks great. An aesthetician recently complimented me on my "beautiful" complexion while giving me a facial, and at my 20-year high school reunion, a friend who hadn't seen me in years exclaimed, "You don’t age!" While I might chalk some of that to good genes, I also credit regular use of my reliable Clinique lotion for keeping my skin plump and hydrated year after year.

RELATED: 4 Hyaluronic Acid Serums Dermatologists Love for Hydrated Skin

Today, I live in a desert climate where the air is almost always dry, and I use the regular Dramatically Different formula in colder weather for all-day hydration. But in the summer, I switch to the gel formula ($27; sephora.com), which is perfect for my combination skin—it's a little lighter and doesn't leave me feeling greasy on hot days. I find that the 4.2-ounce bottle lasts a long time.

I’ve tried other lotions over the years—some more expensive, some less pricey than this one—but I've never gotten the same consistent results from another moisturizer. Three decades is a long time to stick with any product, but with this lotion, I always know what I’m going to get: smooth, well-hydrated skin.