As tempting as it may be to jump right into a workout, it’s not the best idea. Doing so can prevent you from getting the most out of your workout since your muscles and joints aren’t warm and prepared for the stress you’ll put on them, and it can even lead to injury. Depending on the style of training you do, your workout warmup may look different, but if you’re going on a run or doing some sort of strength or resistance training, taking the time to go through some dynamic warmup exercises is a must.
To help you get the most out of your training, Kelsey Wells, NASM-certified trainer and creator of the PWR programs on the SWEAT app, created this seven-minute, full-body workout warmup. It’s comprised of seven simple dynamic warmup exercises that’ll help you wake up your whole body and get it ready to move. “Warming up your muscles prior to working out is a key part of training and can help to activate your muscles you are about to work and reduce your risk of injury,” Wells tells POPSUGAR.
Wells’s workout warmup includes a range of cardio and dynamic stretching that can be done before most workouts. This routine will help mobilize your joints, increase your heart rate, and get more blood pumping to your muscles, she explains. Before you crush your workout, make sure you complete this quick and effective workout warmup — your body will thank you.
Kelsey Wells’s Full-Body Workout Warmup
This workout warmup is simple: You do each one of these dynamic warmup exercises for one minute eat, then move onto the next one. Keep reading for more on how to do each move.
- Jumping jack: 60 seconds
- Cat-Cow: 60 seconds
- Four-point thoracic rotation: 60 seconds
- High plank to Downward Dog and calf pump: 60 seconds
- Inchworm: 60 seconds
- Alternating lunge: 60 seconds
- Plank: 60 seconds