Oh boy, …as if it hasn’t been saying and written enough already about how absolutely essential a good warm-up is!
But here I am about to remind you that once AGAIN!
Number one mistake I see: Thinking that mindlessly jogging on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes is just about all you need to prepare your body for the workout ahead! Nope, ma friends!
A warm-up is not just supposed to make you sweaty and raise your body temperature but ALSO to prime your nervous system.
A good warm-up activates/wakes up the muscles and ensures you an effective and SAFE workout.
Be kind to your body and never skip your warm-up! It reduces injury risk and potentially increases your performance.
Basically, a good warm-up is an absolute MUST. And no, it does not need to be 7 hours long.
Of course, you should always listen to your body and if you feel like you need a little more warming up – then take your time with it.
Although I do have days where I focus on either lower body or upper body strength/hypotrophy, most of my workouts consist of mainly compound movements.
This means that even on a “lower body day” I will still make sure to warm up my entire body and all muscle groups and I urge you to do the same.
Here’s a very quick 5-minute whole-body warm-up routine that you can either add to your already established warm-up or just do on its own.
You can perform each movement for 30 seconds and repeat it or straight ahead do each one for 60 seconds.
Plank Walk Outs
Simple, right?
If you feel like you can use a challenge – try and see how much further you can place your hands.
Hint: This is also a great exercise to work your core but you better hold the plank position for a few seconds before walking back up and focus on contracting your core.
Lunge to Psoas Reach
Same as above – for a better stretch – you can hold the psoas stretch for a few seconds each side.
Prone Floor Angles
Basically…just try not to smash your nose.
Pike Fold to Squat Hold
Notice the sequence here – hip hinge and then squat.
A deeeep squat!
Shoulder Taps
Keep that core tight and the body in a straight line! 🙂
What about you?
- What are your favorite warm-up exercises?
- How long does it take you to warm up?
- Or are you guilty of skipping the warm-up altogether?
Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Oh! And pin it for later!
