Hey fitness enthusiasts! Are you all set to get pumped up and smash your coming workout? Well, before you dive headfirst into the workout, remember that it’s crucial to provide a warm-up to your body that it deserves.
Yeah! We’re talking about warm-ups, my friends! And, I know what you’re thinking.
“Warm-ups? Isn’t it like nobody got a time for that?”
Hold on! You need to hear me out because skipping a warm-up is like trying to build a sandcastle without a proper foundation. You wouldn’t want to pull up and stretch muscles or end up feeling as stiff as a hard board! Right?
That’s where you need these ten awe-inspiring warm-up exercises to come in handy. They’re like the secret sauce to prep your body muscles and joints that ensure you’re ready to unleash the full potential of your body.
Now, the question arises “What warm-up activities we can practice before indulging in the workout so that we make the best out of it?” So, my fellow fitness freaks, we are here to introduce the list of top 10 warm-up exercises that you can utilize further as the killer playlist to get you back in the workout zone. Whether you’re smashing out bodyweight squats like a pro bodybuilder or nailing deadlifting and squats, these warm-up exercises are your golden ticket to unlocking your true potential. Get ready to sweat out and flex your muscles!!
Why warm-up is needed?
So now, you might wonder, why exactly do we need to bother with warm-ups? Well! Let me make it simple for you. In layman’s words, warm-up helps you in work like a well-oiled machine which means by warming up properly, you can make the best out of your work-out training session, no matter whether you are a corporate worker and working out in the best gym in Gurgaon or an athlete and working out in open fields. These are more like stretching exercises to make the smooth blood flow while practicing exercises and to activate the central nervous system (CNS) for work ahead.
The best 10 warm-up exercises are enlisted here
We will further elaborate on it from the benefits of practicing the particular exercise to the step-by-step guide to perform.
Bodyweight Squats
This simple warm-up routine can help you with flexing the muscles of the quadriceps, glutes, calves, and hamstring.
Step-by-Step Guidance for Bodyweight Squats:
- First, stand up on your feet by keeping a little wider distance in between.
- Now, either put your hands in front of your body or on your hips.
- Bend your knees slowly and move your hips towards the floor by keeping your back straight.
- Keep going down by hingeing your hips backward until you feel a stretch in the quadriceps.
- Hold your body in this position and pause for a while.
- After this, you can get back to the resting position you were in by putting force through your heels.
90-90
If you are planning to go with any loaded squats in your work session, this is an excellent warm-up to flex multiple muscles by activating CNS.
Steps to perform the 90-90 warm-up exercise
- Put your left leg behind you at a 90-degree angle and your right leg in front of you while sitting on the ground.
- Now, you need to sit upright and in a straight posture. If you raise your left arm straight, your left knee and arm should be in line, as should your hip and shoulder.
- To support the current position, place your right hand beside you with the palm facing down and the fingers pointing backward.
- Pay heed to your right leg’s knee that is placed in front and ankle and stay in this posture.
- Keep your chest up, and lean forward by hovering over your right knee.
- When you feel a substantial stretch, hold for five seconds while firmly pressing your knee and ankle into the ground.
- After this, regain your upright former posture by rising up again then repeat the process 10 times.
Bird Dog
This exercise is basically for your abs and lower back, it can also help the movement in your glutes and hip flexors.
Here’s the way to practice the Bird dog exercise
- Get down and place your wrists and knees below your shoulders and hips, respectively.
- Pulling your shoulder down towards your hips while maintaining neutral spinal alignment by contracting your abs.
- Raise and extend your right arm until it is parallel to the floor while simultaneously rising and extending your left leg until it is straight back and in line with your hips.
- Return your arm and leg to the beginning position gradually, switch sides, and repeat the process.
Banded Row
This warm-up exercise is one of the best warm-up exercises and is suggested by the trainer of the best gym in Gurgaon. While activating the lower back muscle, it is also good to make proper mind-muscle connections.
Learn how to do Banded Row warm-up
- Holding the grips in your hands, place a resistance band beneath your feet.
- Keep your knees slightly bent and lean forward.
- By leading with your elbows and drawing your shoulder blades together, pull the resistance band’s grips back and hold the contraction for one count.
- Return to the starting position gradually and repeat ten times in total.
Inchworms
It strengthens the upper-body muscles with back stretch and stabilizes the multiple muscles of the whole body.
Acknowledge the process of Inchworms
- Stand tall and then try touching the floor with your fingertips.
- Walk as far forward with your hands while keeping your legs straight.
- Finish it in a plank posture with your hands under your shoulders.
- Walking slowly toward the beginning posture will help you straighten up again.
Wall Angels
This helps in relieving the stiff neck muscle as well as stretches the upper back and joints.
Let’s practice the Wall Angels exercise
- Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, take two or three steps out from the wall.
- Put your shoulders and arms flat on the wall and raise your hands up to your ears.
- Slide your arms up the wall while keeping them in touch with the wall.
- Repeat the motion by slowly lowering your arms.
Lunge with Hip Opener
It adds up the movement and abduction in the hip and prevents injury by getting you ready for deadlifts and squats.
Try out the Lunge with Hip Opener to warm-up
- With your right foot leading the way, take a deep step forward while leaving your left foot behind.
- Bend your right knee and lower your left leg almost to the floor as you lower your body.
- Rotate your right knee to the right to gently open it.
- Now, rotate your left leg softly to the left by opening it slightly.
- Before going back to the beginning position, hold for one count. Then switch sides and repeat.
Gate Opener
This exercise targets the lower body including the pelvis and core by enhancing the range of motion and mobility and balance.
Take these steps for the Gate Opener exercise
- Your feet should be hip-width apart when you stand tall with your toes pointing forward.
- Maintain your arms at your sides and put your weight on your right side and lift your left leg up to just over your abdominal button.
- Bring your right leg in and across your body’s midline. Crossing your right leg over your left knee should be done.
- Next, extend your lifted left leg to the left by keeping your core engaged.
- After slowly bringing the knee back to the middle, return to the beginning position by bringing your foot to the floor.
Arm Circles with Reach
To prevent your shoulders from any injury, this warm-up is perfect to mobile and activate the shoulder tissues.
Intact guide to do warm-up Arm Circles with Reach
- Stand tall and slowly extend your arm behind you while keeping your attention on your shoulders until you have to turn your arm around so your palm is facing front.
- Flip your palm forward, then extend your arm straight out in front of you by circling it above.
- Reach forward once more, attempting to extend your range of motion.
- Switch sides and complete the sets of 5-5 reps.
Prone Cobra
Accomplish these actions to try Prone Cobra as it aims at the movement of the thoracic and lumbar spine. This is an excellent way to get back pain relief.
Accomplish these steps for the Prone Cobra exercise
- With your hands by your sides and palms facing down, lie on your stomach on the ground.
- While maintaining your chin tucked into your chest, raise your torso and chest as high as you can.
- To open your shoulders, raise your arms off the floor with your thumbs pointed up at the ceiling.
- Continue opening your shoulders while inhaling through your nostrils.
- Maintaining this posture for up to three minutes at a time, as per the advice of trainers of the best gym in Gurgaon.
Summing It Up!
Alright, folks! You’ve learned the ten best warm-up exercises to practice that will have you prepped for any workout like a pro. A good warm-up is the key to unlocking your body’s hidden powers and minimizing the risk of injury. In this read, I’ve listed the routine warm-up exercises suggested by the experts of the FitClub: best gym in Gurgaon. So, whenever you hit the gym, do not skip these essential warm-up exercises. Whether you’re squatting, or doing the bird dog, these warm-up exercises have got your back. Stay fit, stay fierce, and keep grooving!