How to warm up before exercise

Teach: How to warm up before exercise

What to say

Warm up for five to ten minutes by starting with easy movement that raises your breathing, such as brisk walking, cycling or skipping, then moving your joints through the ranges the workout will use, then doing a few lighter practice rounds of your first exercise. Save long, still stretches for after the session. You are warm when you feel slightly out of breath and loose, not tired.

What to show, in order

1. Start with three to five minutes of easy cardio, such as brisk walking, cycling or skipping, until your breathing picks up.
2. Circle the shoulders, arms, hips and ankles, ten slow turns each way.
3. Do leg swings forward and sideways while holding a wall, ten each leg.
4. Walk through a few bodyweight squats, lunges and hip hinges with a slow, full range.
5. Do one or two easy practice rounds of your first exercise at a light load.
6. Build to your working effort over the first few minutes of the session.
7. Finish the whole workout with a few minutes of easy movement, then any longer stretching.

When to stop and call a professional

• You have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a recent injury or surgery, or you are unsure whether exercise is safe for you: ask a clinician before you start.
• You feel chest pain, pressure, faintness or unusual breathlessness during a warm-up: stop and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US.

The check question

Ask: What should the first part of a warm-up do? Answer: Raise your breathing with easy movement

From EveryManKnows. General information, not professional advice.