How To Perform A Proper Warm-Up Before Working Out
Today I want to guide you through a quick and very effective 5 minutes proper warm-up, which you should do prior to exercising. The first rule when it comes to exercising is never ever skip your warm-up! It is very important to fully prepare not just your body, but your mind, for the work that waits you.
A good warm-up is important to:
- Increase blood flow to your muscles and raise your body temperature.
- Get your muscles and joints ready for maximum flexibility in order to perform each exercise with proper form.
- Activate the central nervous system for best results.
- Reduce the risk of injury.
- Reduce muscle soreness.
If you neglect your warm-up, you’re putting yourself through the risk of high injury and you may feel worn out earlier than you should be. Hence affecting your performance and not achieving the best results. So by just spending 5-10 minutes to fully prepare your body and mind, you will be able to:
- burn more calories;
- build more strength;
- push yourself further;
- achieve better results.
Exercises For A Proper Warm-Up
A proper warm-up contains 10 exercises; the first 5 will be cardio workouts and the next 5 will be dynamic stretches. Every exercise will be performed for 30 seconds and there will be no rest in between. So let’s do this 5-minute warm-up together! Just have fun 30 seconds for each exercise!
1. Jump Rope
I want you to have fun, and just imagine you have a rope in your hands. So you can choose to hop side to side, or double hop, or hop on one foot and then on the other one, whatever you like.
2. Standing Side Crunch
Extend the right arm over your head and then bring it back down bending your elbow. At the same time bring the right knee up and try to reach your right elbow with it. Extend the other arm over your head and repeat, alternating sides.
3. Jumping Jacks
You have 30 seconds to perform the classic jumping jacks, which work your entire body and basically they are stretching your entire body as well. Have fun!
4. Ice Skaters
Step to your side, cross over and touch your toes with the opposite hand. We did this exercise in our old articles like Quick Sweat Circuit, Round Butt Workout or Bubble Butt Exercises.
5. Cross Jacks
It’s like classic jumping jacks, but you need to cross your legs and also to cross your arms in front of you, at your chest level.
6. Lunge With Overhead Reach
Lunge with your right leg in front of you and reach your arms up. Repeat the movement with your left leg in front of you.
7. Alternating Side Lunge
Step wide to your side and bring your hands together at your chest level, then change sides. Do you feel the stretch in your inner thigh?
8. Inchworm
Stand straight and then inch forward in all four until you get into a pushup position. Then go back in slowly to the starting position.
9. Glute Bridge
Get down on the floor, on your back. Bend your knees and bring your feet near your butt. Place your arms at you sides and lift your butt up to build a bridge. Bring it back on the floor and repeat this move for 30 seconds.
10. Kneeling Extension Rotation
Get down on all four, bring your left hand behind your head and rotate your upper body to the left for 5 times. Then bring your right hand behind your head and rotate your upper body to the right.
This was a proper warm-up! So you should feel your muscles warmed-up and you should be sweating slightly. If you need a longer warm-up session, especially if you are doing intense training, then increase each exercise to 1 minute long. If this is a challenge for you, then adapt the exercises so that you can complete them.
If you learned how to perform a proper warm-up, you can share this post with your friends too. Don’t forget: NEVER SKIP YOUR WARM-UP! Stay fit!
