5 Warm-Up Stretches to Have in Your Routine

Exercise Instructions

Cat-Cow Stretch

This movement is excellent for mobilizing the spine and gently engaging the core.

1. Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
2. Inhale as you drop your belly towards the mat, lifting your chin and chest, and looking up toward the ceiling (Cow Pose).
3. Exhale as you draw your belly to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling, tucking your chin to your chest (Cat Pose).
4. Continue flowing between Cat and Cow, synchronizing your breath with the movement.

Leg Swings (Forward and Backward)

This dynamic stretch opens up the hips and activates the hamstrings and hip flexors.

1. Stand tall next to a wall or sturdy object for balance.
2. Keeping your torso upright, swing one leg forward and backward in a controlled, fluid motion.
3. Focus on increasing the range of motion with each swing, but do not force it.
4. Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other leg.

Leg Swings (Side to Side)

This variation targets the adductors (inner thighs) and abductors (outer thighs and hips).

1. Stand facing a wall, placing your hands on it for support.
2. Swing one leg out to the side and then across your body in front of the standing leg.
3. Keep the movement controlled and your upper body stable.
4. Complete all reps on one leg before switching.

Arm Circles

A simple yet effective exercise for warming up the shoulder joints, rotator cuffs, and upper back muscles.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight out to your sides.
2. Begin making small, controlled circles with your arms, gradually increasing the size of the circles.
3. After 10-12 repetitions, reverse the direction of the circles.

Bodyweight Squats

This fundamental movement pattern activates the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core, preparing your lower body for more demanding exercises.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Keeping your chest up and your back straight, lower your hips as if sitting back into a chair.
3. Go as deep as you can comfortably while maintaining good form, aiming to get your thighs parallel to the floor.
4. Push through your heels to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes at the top.

This warm up exercises list is a great starting point. As you advance, you can explore more complex movements. For more ideas on how to prepare your lower body for exercise, check out these dynamic lower body stretches.

What Stretches Should I Avoid During a Warm-Up?

The primary type of stretching to avoid before a workout is static stretching. Static stretching involves holding a stretch in a challenging but comfortable position for a period, typically between 15 to 60 seconds. While it has its place for improving long-term flexibility, performing it before exercise can be detrimental to performance.

Research has shown that pre-exercise static stretching can lead to a temporary reduction in:

• Muscle Strength: The ability to produce maximal force.
• Power Output: The ability to produce force quickly (strength x speed).
• Explosiveness: Performance in activities like jumping and sprinting.

This happens because prolonged static stretching can signal the nervous system to relax the muscle, slightly decreasing its ability to contract forcefully. It also reduces muscle-tendon stiffness, which is necessary for generating and transferring power efficiently.

Save the deep, static holds for after your workout. Post-exercise, your muscles are warm and pliable, making it the ideal time to work on improving your flexibility without compromising your performance.

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How To Do Warm-Up Stretches Correctly?

Executing your warm-up stretches correctly is just as important as choosing the right ones. The goal is preparation, not exhaustion. An effective routine should leave you feeling energized, mobile, and ready, not fatigued.

Follow these principles for a successful dynamic warm-up:

1. Start with general, low-intensity movement: Begin with 3-5 minutes of light cardio, such as jogging in place, jumping jacks, or using a stationary bike. The goal is to raise your body temperature and get your blood flowing. You should feel slightly warm and may have started to break a light sweat.
2. Focus on dynamic, not static: Choose stretches that involve continuous movement. Instead of holding a hamstring stretch, perform leg swings. Instead of holding a quad stretch, do walking lunges with a gentle twist.
3. Control the movement: Dynamic stretching is not ballistic stretching. Avoid bouncing or using momentum to force a range of motion. Each movement should be deliberate and controlled, focusing on moving the joint smoothly through its natural path.
4. Gradually increase range and speed: Start with a smaller, slower range of motion and progressively increase it as the muscles and joints become warmer and more mobile. For example, your first bodyweight squat might be a half-squat, while your last one is full-depth.
6. Be specific to your workout: Tailor your warm-up to the activities you are about to perform. If you’re preparing for a run, include movements like high knees and butt kicks. If you’re getting ready for an upper-body lifting session, prioritize arm circles, shoulder pass-throughs, and band pull-aparts. This is especially important for specific activities like running, where you might want to learn more about how to stretch before running.
7. Keep it brief but effective: A dynamic warm-up doesn’t need to be long. Studies suggest that a duration of 7 to 10 minutes is sufficient to elicit performance benefits (1). Spending too much time and energy on your warm-up can leave you fatigued before the main event even begins.

A well-structured routine can include more than just five movements. You can build a comprehensive list of 10 warm up exercises to ensure all major muscle groups are prepared. For a complete guide, explore these dynamic warm up exercises.

Read more: 7 Flexibility Training Exercises to Include in Your Practice

When Shouldn’t You Stretch?

While stretching is generally beneficial, there are specific situations where it should be avoided or approached with caution. Understanding these scenarios is important for avoiding extra strain and knowing when to pause.

• When you’ve recently hurt yourself: If an area feels newly irritated or overly sensitive, stretching it may make it feel worse. In that case, it’s better to check with a qualified professional before returning to stretching.
• When a joint is unstable: If one of your joints feels unusually unstable or sensitive, aggressive stretching can further destabilize the area, which may leave the area feeling less supported. In these cases, the focus typically should be on strengthening the muscles around the joint to provide stability, not on increasing its range of motion.
• When you feel sharp pain: Pain is your body’s signal that something is wrong. If you feel a sharp, shooting, or stabbing pain during a stretch, stop immediately. Pushing through this type of pain can make the area feel worse. Differentiate this from the mild discomfort of a typical muscle stretch.
• Before a max-effort strength or power event: As discussed, static stretching before activities that require maximal strength or power (like a one-rep max attempt in powerlifting or a 100-meter dash) can temporarily impair performance (3). Stick to a dynamic warm-up in these scenarios.

Always listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s better to be cautious. Consulting with a physical therapist or qualified coach can provide personalized guidance based on your specific needs and injury history.