Never forget to warm up. Warming up can save you from injury! We'll show you our favorite 15 warm-up exercises to do at home.
Time is precious - we all know that. Many believe that they can save time on the warm up and do without it. But you should never do without warm-up exercises during training.
Minutes invested in warm-up exercises pay off. And twice.
Because warming up reduces the risk that you will injure yourself.
Anyone who has ever had a sports injury knows how long it can take to get fit again. So it's better to spend a few minutes warming up than days and weeks getting fit again.
Table of contents
A warm up before the actual workout should become as natural to you as brushing your teeth in the morning.
However, you should also use the same method for the warm-up - i.e. for so-called Cool down exercises - Allow time.
But now it's time to warm up. Here are the best exercises for warm muscles.
How to warm up properly?
A good warm up is a short jog at a light load, followed by stretching exercises. You can do this while standing or actually do a short circuit. When stretching, you have many exercises to choose from, such as tilting your head to one side of your shoulder, bending your leg, or stretching your arms.
Here's what to look for in warm-up exercises:
1. start the warm up slowly
Be sure to take it easy! At the beginning you are not yet at operating temperature. Don't use up all your power in the warm-up. Save your energy for the workout.
2. large muscles before small muscle groups
Whatever warm-up exercises you decide to do later, the important thing is the order. To increase body temperature, it is best to start with large muscles first. So legs and buttocks are warmed up before the arms.
3. from warm-up exercises to training
When you're done with the warm up, you should get right into the workout.
You should leave a maximum of 5 minutes between the warm-up phase and the workout. With the right basics, such as a training mat, you are perfectly equipped for this.
That's why you should warm up before hiking
The two different types of warm up
In order to prepare your body for training in the best possible way, there are two types of warm-up.
Warming up for 10 to 15 minutes is enough to provide the body with more oxygen and increase blood flow to the muscles.
The global warm up for the circulation
These warm-up exercises generally prepare the body for the workout. Typical exercises include jumping jacks, skipping, burpees and the mountain climber. Global warm-up is when a very large number of muscle groups are involved. And when the circulation is stimulated.
By the way, global warm-up is the same as dynamic warm-up exercises. Because they are so intense for stamina and coordination, you set yourself a challenge even before the workout. Then nothing can go wrong :)
For global warm-up you should allow 5 to 10 minutes.
The local warm-up of individual muscles
Once you have completed the global warm-up, you move on to local exercises. Here the body is specifically prepared.
The focus is on individual muscle groups. If you only want to train your arms on one day, you don't have to warm up your legs as well. Then focus on the shoulders, back and arms themselves.
Typical local warm up exercises are stretching. Without equipment or tools you do about 20 repetitions of a warm up exercise. And you can then start with the actual workout.
The most effective exercises for cool down
One video I like to do as a warm up and combine with the exercises presented is this one. I've picked out a link from YouTube for you here so you can get started right away.
How long should a warm up last?
For a classic abs, legs, butt workout, plan on 5 to 10 minutes of warm up. Depending on the type of sport and the planned training time, up to 15 minutes of warm-up can be on the schedule. Light warm-up exercises prepare the body and mind for the sports session.
Use this rule as a guide: Calculate 20 % of your training time for warm up in. So if you train for 60 minutes, that's 12 minutes for warming up.
During this time you make sure that the muscles and fasciae become more supple and the oxygen supply is increased.
The duration and intensity depend on what you have planned for the actual workout. Is it gentle abdominal exercises or really heavy weight lifting? The difference is enormous.
The training time also influences the duration of the warm up. If you are already active in the early morning, you need a little longer to get up to operating temperature.
Anyone warming up outdoors in the fall should allow more time than someone warming up in the summer. The low temperatures outdoors have an effect on our bodies. It's not for nothing that people say "being stiff from cold".
Your age also plays a role. The younger you are, the shorter the warm-up can be. Older or not very active athletes should allow much more time than young athletes.
What are the warm-up exercises?
These warm-up exercises are suitable for all sports:
- Light rope skipping
- Running on the stand
- Jumping jack
- Crossover running
- Leg swing
- Stretching exercises
We've put together 15 warm up exercises for you to do at home. Each warm up exercise targets different muscle groups, so you'll end up with all your muscles well warmed up.
But of course there are many other good exercises that you can incorporate into the warm-up phase. I would like to introduce my favorite ones here. You can combine them according to your mood and so you always have enough variety during training.
Here come the most effective warm up exercises:
The jumping jack
The classic warm-up exercise. With the jumping jack you get your circulation going during the warm up.
- In the starting position stand upright
- The arms are hanging, the legs are closed
- Now jump into the straddle and at the same time stretch your arms upwards
- The arms touch each other above the head
- Now swing your arms down at the same time and close your legs
- 30 seconds!
Tired in the morning? These morning exercises will make you fit!
Large lunge
You stretch legs, hip flexors and buttocks
- Go into a lunge and put the left leg down.
- Push the right leg forward until the knee is at the level of the toes.
- Press the hip down in a controlled manner. The hip points forward.
- Place the hands on the thigh
- Rocking the hips forward and a little backward
The best small exercise equipment for the living room!
Stretch legs and arms
- Extend the big lunge and now also stretch your arms with
- Take the arms from the thighs and place the left palm to the right foot
- Turn the head to the right and stretch the right hand upwards
- Hold the position for 20 seconds and then switch sides
These stretching exercises make you more flexible
Stretch the body
- Stand upright
- The hands point upwards
- Now lift the heel of your left leg.
- Lower heel and stand on right toes
- As if you want to pick apples from the tree while walking
- Stretch really well and make yourself long
Touching the floor with fingers
This is one of those warm-up exercises that looks easy, but causes problems for many. It is enormously important that you stretch your legs regularly.
- Stand up straight. Tilt your hips forward a little.
- Feet are about shoulder width apart
- Lean upside down until you reach the ground
- If you don't succeed, bend your knees a bit
- Breathe calmly and hold the tension
Side lunge - variation
This way you can warm up the inner thigh. Through the wide step you stretch both left and right at the same time.
- Stand wide
- Shift your weight to the right side
- The hands rest on the thigh
- The inside of the thighs begins to pull
- The back remains straight
- The weight is on the heel
Lunge with leg stretch
This way you can keep the legs and the Stretch hip flexors and train your balance. Go into the big lunge again and now stretch especially the back leg.
- Do a lunge
- Pull the back leg to the thigh
- You can keep your balance more easily if you put your right hand on your right thigh.
- The back is straight
- If you already have very good balance, you can reach to the back leg with both arms
Stretch the back and legs
- Stand upright in a wide stance
- Stretch your arms to the side and lean forward
- Bend down until the back is straight
- Look down
- Now you go up and down again
- 10 repetitions
Touch toes
With this warm-up exercise you can stretch the legs and the lateral abdominal muscles as well as the arms
- Reach alternately to the right and left leg
- Start on the left. Stretch slowly to the shoe.
- Pull the upper body to the leg
- Hold the tension and then switch sides
- 10 repetitions per side
Take the challenge! The 30 Day Plank Challenge for the living room!
Train the balance
- Those who exercise after warming up also need a good sense of balance.
- Stand on the right leg and stretch the arms to the sides
- Stretch the left leg forward and draw circles in the air
- At first the circles are small. Then they become larger and larger
At the stand run
Get the circulation going with this exercise
- Stand upright
- Start walking on the spot
- Take very small steps
- Let the arms swing along
These are the most effective fitness exercises for your living room!
Raise knee
This is one of the warm-up exercises for running.
- You stand upright at the beginning
- You stretch your hands backwards
- Now pull up the left and right knee alternately
- The supporting leg is slightly bent
- If you feel light, you can let the arms swing with you
Warm up for the legs and arms
- Start hip width
- Stand on tiptoes and stretch arms backwards
- Lower the heels to the floor again
- Start from the beginning
- Makes at least 20 repetitions
Better than fitness studio! This is how to build muscle without equipment!
The climber
The starting position for this warm up is the dog looking down
- Stretch the arms firmly
- The heels touch the floor
- The buttocks are stretched upwards
- Now alternately pull the right and left leg to the chest
Stretch the back of the thighs
And at the end of our warm-up exercises, we'll get to work on your fitness once again
- Stand upright and take a step forward with your right foot
- The right arm points upwards
- Now you jump so that the left foot is in front and the left arm is pointing upwards
- This stretches your legs and makes you sweat a bit
Jumping rope: The best warm up before training
Also good for warm up are the following designs:
- Shoulders circle
- Turn head
- Circling pelvis
- Shadow boxing
Why are warm-up exercises important before training?
Very specific warm up before training has many positive effects on your body. Both physical and psychological. The risk of injury decreases when the body is warmed up.
Here's an example: A car engine also needs to warm up immediately after starting in order to perform well.
1. more power with warm muscles
You will notice this particularly strongly during stretching exercises. During the first exercises you are still not very flexible. After the third and fourth exercises, the muscles, ligaments and tendons are much more flexible and stronger.
Your balance, mobility and flexibility during the workout will be improved. This is due to the fact that the body produces more joint fluid. The joint cartilage increases in size and withstands loads better.
As we prepare the body and mind for training, you release hormones. One of them is adrenaline. This prepares our nervous system for the exercises and activates the muscles.
2. warm-up exercises to get in the right mood
Yes, not only our muscles, tendons and ligaments need to be prepared for strength training, but also our head. Warm up exercises are like a tuning ritual for the brain.
You prepare yourself with warm-up exercises to be able to implement the individual workouts in a more focused manner. Once you're up and running, you start the warm-up phase. Then the motivation for the workout comes all by itself.
The warm up phase improves not only your concentration but also your perception. You can suddenly react much better to obstacles and situations.
Anyone who has a run ahead of them should warm up well. Because warm-up exercises can even reduce stress and relieve nervousness.
3. get the circulation going with warm-up exercises
Warm-up exercises are suitable to get the circulation going. The heart beats faster and pumps more oxygen into the body - thus also into the muscles. With warm-up exercises, you release your first feelings of happiness and are then ready to really get going.
Warming up increases blood flow, heart rate and body temperature. With each exercise you stimulate the interaction of nerves and muscles.
The body adjusts to the activity during the warm-up exercises. Thus, the skin is supplied with less blood, but the working muscles more. Your active muscle mass is supplied with more nutrients and oxygen.
Blood pressure also changes naturally. The blood flows faster through the vessels. This means that the muscles can be better supplied.
Do warm-up exercises help against sore muscles?
Here there are divided opinions. Some say: Yes, warm up exercises help against muscle soreness. The others are convinced that a warm up is very important, but has no influence on the muscle soreness the day after.
But what you can definitely say is that a well perfused muscle is more flexible. The internal friction of the muscle fibers and the surrounding fascia is reduced by the warm up. The muscles can act more flexibly and effectively. Whether this helps against muscle pain, however, has not yet been proven.
What is certain is that you can prevent injuries and that is even more important than preventing sore muscles.
Our conclusion
Warm-up exercises are really important! Never skip the stretching exercises. Better to take a few minutes longer to train than risk a bad injury, is the motto.
Have fun with the exercises and with your workout!
To browse further:
* Advertising & affiliate links: Our website is financed by advertising and affiliate links. As a partner of linked stores (e.g. Amazon) we earn from qualified sales.
Read more
