Sometimes many people skip warming up before the workout. It can increase the risk of injury and put additional strain on the muscles. Before exercising, you need to take a few minutes to relax your muscles. Check out what an excellent list of warm-up exercises looks like in this review.
What is warming up?
Warming up is a series of exercise movements with a light intensity that is carried out so that the body is better prepared for physical activity.
Citing the Mayo Clinic, here are some reasons why it’s essential to warm up before exercising.
- increase blood flow to muscle tissue,
- helps increase body temperature,
- helps the performance of the heart and blood vessel system (cardiovascular),
- improve physical performance during exercise,
- reduce the risk of injury, and
- prevent muscle cramps and muscle aches.
It would be best if you warmed up before starting to exercise or do any strenuous physical activity.
When warming up, try exercises that focus on large muscle groups, such as the legs, chest, shoulders, and back, to reap the benefits.
Easy warm-up exercises at home
Here are some examples of a recommended warm-up before exercising.
1. Squat
Squats are a list of warm-up exercises that target muscle strength in the lower body, including the quads, hamstrings, and buttocks.
You can start with a lighter intensity, then slowly increase the power.
You can also increase the intensity by holding the weight while doing squats.
Here’s how to do the correct squat to warm up.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and toes facing forward or slightly to the side.
- Keep your back straight and slowly lower your hips until your thighs align with your knees.
- Hold for a moment in that position, exhale and stand back up.
- Do as many as 1-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions of the movement.
2. Push-ups
This warm-up exercise works your upper body, chest, and waist. You can do push-ups in the first few moves by resting on your knees.
Here’s how or the steps to warm up with push-ups.
- Place yourself in a straight horizontal position with your palms on the floor and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your shoulders straight and not bent. Your back should be straight, and your feet should be parallel. You also need to make sure your stomach doesn’t bend.
- Slowly lower your body towards the floor. Do not let the body position or back down. The elbows of the arms will bend during this movement.
- Once your chest or chin almost touches the ground, press up and straighten your arms.
- Do as many as 1 – 3 sets with 8 -12 repetitions of the movement.
3. Plank
Planks are an excellent list of warm-up exercises for building upper body and back strength and improving balance and posture.
Below are the steps to do a plank.
- Place your body in a push-up position. You can start by resting on your knees if you are a beginner. You can try the plank resting on your arms if you’re already proficient.
- Keep your palms and toes flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Keep your head or back straight.
- Hold the plank position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Triceps warm-up
This exercise involves several movements to help relax and warm your triceps (underarm muscles).
This warm-up movement also helps prepare the muscles for triceps and biceps training.
Here’s how or the steps to warm up the triceps.
- Extend your arms to the sides, so your palms are parallel, making sure they are facing down.
- Keep your arms straight and twist them in circles towards the back.
- After 20 – 30 seconds, you turn your arms around in a forward direction.
- After 20 – 30 seconds, turn your palms forward and move your arms back and forth.
- Do as much as 1-3 sets of this movement.
5. Side lunge
This list of warm-up exercises works your lower body and can help strengthen your legs, buttocks, and hips.
You can increase the intensity of this warm-up by using dumbbells.
Here are the steps to make a side lunge which is also a sport to build leg muscles.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Press right foot as you step left foot to the left side.
- Squat while bending the left leg and keeping the right leg straight.
- Hold the position briefly. Lift your hips and return your left leg to the starting position.
- Perform similar movements alternately to the right side.
- Do as much as 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions.
6. Turn the shoulder
This exercise helps relax your shoulder, back, and neck muscles. In addition, this movement helps the heart increase blood circulation in the body.
Here’s how or the steps to do the shoulder rotation warm-up.
- Perform walking movements in place.
- Turn your shoulders forward five times and back five times.
- Let your arms hang at your sides.
- Do as many as two sets with ten repetitions of the movement.
7. Run in place
This list of warm-up exercises can help pump your heart and improve blood circulation throughout the body. Do this warm-up for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Below are ways or steps to do a run in place.
- Do jogging movements in place at a slow speed.
- After about a minute, do a jog while lifting your knees to chest level for at least 30 seconds.
- Return to jogging at a slow pace.
- Although often overlooked, warm-up is an essential part of the exercise.
Warming up can help improve flexibility and athletic performance and reduce the chance of workout injuries.
You can do the example of the warm-up movement above with a light intensity before doing the core exercise.