Trainers Created The Most Effective 5-Minute Warm-Up For Every Workout
If you’re the kind of person who always skips your warm-up exercises, I get it. Sometimes you just want to get right to the good part. Or, you’re short on time and want to get your workout over with. But, warming up is super important, and it doesn’t even need to take that long. In fact, with the list of exercises below, you can get a good warm-up done in just five minutes—and reap the benefits basically immediately. Who doesn’t love instant gratification?
The most important thing about a warm-up is it gets your blood and oxygen flowing, says Claudette Sariya, CPT, founding instructor at Sole+ Fitness. Just as the name suggests, it warms your muscles up to their ideal temperature for their best flexibility and efficiency, according to the American Heart Association. Since you’re easing into your workout, you’ll be easing your heart rate up too, minimizing the stress you put on it.
A good warm-up can also help you ward off injuries, especially if you’re doing dynamic movements that mimic what you’ll be doing during your workout, adds Sariya. “For women especially, being able to continue to strength train safely and without pain is important as we tend to lose muscle mass and bone density more quickly than our male counterparts as we age," she says.
Below, a list of ten of the best warm-up exercises for a full-body flow at home, according to trainers. (And, BTW, feel free to blast your favorite song for motivation— it could improve your warm-up, according to a 2021 study in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology.)
Time: 5 minutes | Equipment: None | Good for: Whole body
Meet the experts: Kim Perry, CPT, is a certified personal trainer who works with pre-and post-natal clients. Janeil Mason, is an exercise physiologist and head trainer at Brrrn in New York. Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and WH advisory board member. Claudette Sariya, CPT, is a founding instructor for Sole+ Fitness and social media manager for Sole+ Studios.
The Benefits Of Warming Up Pre-Workout
Prevent injury. "Warming up prior to your cardio or strength training session is essential for preventing injury," says Janeil Mason, an exercise physiologist and creator of an online workout community Fit and Lit. Some warm-up programs were able to reduce the risk of injury by 30%, according to a 2022 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Improve performance. A proper warm-up prepares your nervous system and muscles to perform optimally, says Mason.
Maximize range of motion. Warming up before a workout is essential for maximizing your range of motion and loosening your joints, says Kim Perry, CPT. And, promoting the joint’s range of motion decreases stiffness of the muscles, ultimately priming you for success and reducing the risk of injury, according to a 2020 study published in SAGE Open Medicine.
Support mind-muscle connection. Believe it or not, moving through a few pre-workout stretches can even give your brain a boost. "It's going to help to prime not only the muscles and joints into that position, but it's also going to help prime the brain to understand what movement patterns they're going into," explains Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT, a physical therapist and WH advisory board member. Talk about a win-win.
How To Warm Up Properly
Just touching your toes might not do the trick. Fraboni recommends dynamic stretches, or moving stretches, to get your muscles ready for peak performance. "We know that from studies, just static stretching can sometimes inhibit the muscle activity," she says. "We don't want to inhibit what we're about to do—we want to make the body more excited, more stimulated.”
She also says it's a good idea to know your limits and to think about your personal range of motion while you warm up. You don't want to overdo it by pushing your body into a position it's not ready for. Moving in a slow and controlled way is better, Fraboni explains.
Instructions: Choose four to five of these top warm-up moves below, then complete each for 30 to 60 seconds. They work great no matter what kind of workout is on the agenda, from jumping rope to Pilates. Just focus on the moves that will best serve your workout (lower body, upper body, etc.), Fraboni says.
Additional reporting by Kristine Thomason.
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