Like letting a car run for a few minutes before you drive it in winter, warming up prior to a workout helps get your blood pumping. Studies also suggest that it can improve your performance [1] during the workout that follows, and warmup exercises and stretches can help deter injury [2].
Ali Greenman, NASM- and ACE-certified personal trainer and founder of Final Straw Fitness [3], told POPSUGAR that a dynamic warmup is crucial before exercise. "A warmup is literally to elevate the temperature inside your body," she said. "You get the blood flowing, internal reactions start to take place, and your body is priming itself for what is about to come."
Greenman continued, "I think it's important to start your warmup with a total-body approach, and once you feel a little looser and warm overall, then you can focus on movements you have on the agenda for the day." For example, she said, if you plan on doing a lower-body workout, it would be a good idea, after a full-body warmup, to continue priming your muscles with bodyweight squat, lunge, and good morning [4].
Greenman said to save the static stretches that you hold for long periods of time for your cooldown [5] — those won't get your blood pumping. Instead, "be sure to make your warmup 'dynamic,'" she advised. "This means moving in and out of positions after only a few seconds." Ahead, check out quick full-body warmups you can do anywhere prior to working out. There's one specific to running, routines that are just dynamic stretches, and others that include bodyweight or cardio exercises to get the muscles ready for whatever's next.
5-Minute Warmup For At-Home Workouts From Nicole Pearce
This five-minute warmup from NASM-certified personal trainer Nicole Pearce [7] focuses on light cardio like air jump rope and jumping jacks as well as dynamic stretches. She made this warmup video with her at-home workouts in mind, but you can always do this before any session.
10-Minute Ultimate Warmup From Class FitSugar
Class FitSugar host Anna Renderer says you can use this warmup to kick-start any workout. It's 10 minutes long and includes alternating knee hug [8], high-knee skip, butt kick, and side bend.
7-Minute Basic Yoga Warmup From Sarah Beth
This is a little different: it's a warmup from online yoga teacher Sarah Beth [9] you can try before your more intense yoga flow or strength workout, she wrote in the YouTube description. You'll do Child's Pose [10], Cat-Cow [11], and Downward Dog [12].
5-Minute Easy Warmup Cardio From Fitness Blender
There are 10 exercises in this five-minute cardio warmup from Fitness Blender. They include lateral step and pull, what they call "slow rocking butt kickers," arm swing and lateral step, and the basic squat.
Supershort Dynamic Warmup For Running From Class FitSugar
Here's a quick warmup for your joints that's classified as an active runner's warmup. You'll do high march, butt kick, leg swing, and other moves — and you'll do 20 of each!
5-Minute Apartment-Friendly Warmup From Cassey Ho
Cassey Ho from Blogilates [13] walks us through a five-minute small-space warmup. "I think it's really dangerous if you have been sitting at school or at work all day, and all of a sudden you're doing burpees and jump squats!" she said. You can easily get injured.
12-Minute Full-Body Dynamic Stretching Warmup From HASFit
This 12-minute full-body warmup from HASFit is full of dynamic stretches. There are moves like reaching reverse lunge, Downward Dog, high plank, and fire-hydrant circles. The routine incorporates static strength moves with stretches you'd do in yoga.
5-Move Warmup to Prevent Injury From Class FitSugar
Renderer walks us through five warmup moves: alternating knee hug, active hamstring stretch, gate swing with a twist, reverse lunge and reach, and plank with arm circles. Watch carefully, because she wants you to intersperse 10-second running intervals in between some sets of these moves.
