Do you feel like your muscles are always tight and need stretching after a workout? Do you dread foam rolling afterwards too? Feeling soreness is normal, especially if you’re just starting out. But, if you feel like your muscles never get that much attention, then it might be time to change up your warm up routine.
After all, you wouldn’t want to do the same drills every single day. That would get tiresome fast! Instead, switch things up by incorporating different types of warm-up movements into your exercise schedule. The right type of warm ups will reduce muscle stiffness and fatigue while also lubricating your joints and ligaments so they can move more freely during your workout session. And the best part — not one but four different types of warm-up exercises!
What is a Warm Up exercise?
Warm-up exercises are any exercise that increase the range of motion of your muscles before an exercise. Warm-ups can be used to increase the blood flow and oxygen in your muscles, too.
The four different types of warm up exercises are as follows:
- Static stretches
- Dynamic stretching
- General warm up
- Sport specific warm up (Joint mobility exercises)
Why should you do warm-up exercises?
To be able to perform at your best and avoid injury, it’s imperative that you attempt a warm-up exercise before your workout. It will help your muscles prepare for use so they can work in coordination with each other while also reducing the risk of injury.
There are four types of warm-up exercises:
- Static stretching
- Dynamic stretching
- Plyometric training (jump-starts)
- Agility drills (running, jumping, etc.)
How to Structure Your Warm Up?
You should warm up before your workout in order to get the most out of your workout. A proper warm-up will reduce muscle stiffness and fatigue while also lubricating joints and ligaments so they can move more freely during your workout.
Here are four different types of warm-up exercises that you can use as part of a routine:
- Dynamic stretch – Flexibile movements like yoga
- Range of motion exercises – Walking, running, shaking, etc.
- Full body stretching – This one is a little less intense than dynamic stretches.
- Static stretching.
The 4 different types of warm up exercises.
Four different types of warm up exercises:
- Dynamic stretching (stretching while moving)
- Static stretching (hold stretches for 30 seconds)
- General warm up
- Sport specific warm up
1. General warm up.
This is a good all-around warm up that includes multiple muscle groups. It’s best to do this type of warm up before doing strength training, cardio, or any other more specific workout routine.
- Active warm ups. For this type of warm up, you activate your muscles by going through patterns of activity like walking, jumping jacks, running in place and more! This helps to get your heart rate up for the day ahead and increase blood flow so you can better perform during your workouts.
- Circuit training workouts This set of exercises lasts around 10 minutes and targets different muscle groups in each session. If you want to improve your endurance and stamina, then circuit training workouts are just what the doctor ordered!
- Static stretching exercises These types of warm ups will loosen your muscles but don’t necessarily raise your heart rate or increase blood flow like active warm ups do. For example, these include sitting down into a deep squat position while holding onto a wall for 5-10 seconds followed by standing back up slowly after holding the squat position for 5 seconds.
2. Static stretching.
Static stretching is the most common type of warm up. It’s also the most important one to incorporate into your warm-up routine.
Static stretching starts with a few simple movements like holding out your leg straight in front of you and then moving it slowly up to your chest, or bending over to touch your toes. You can also hold a stretch for 20 seconds and then release it slowly.
3. Sport specific warm up.
Similar to the general warm up, the sport specific warm up is a great way to loosen up those tight muscles and joints. This type of warm up can help you prepare for your intense session with a sport.
Some examples of sport specific warm-ups are: Sprinters who want to prepare for their race: jog around cones, perform high knee running drills, and sprint for 1 minute. Basketball players who want to get loose before practice or a game: dribble between two cones and make lay-ups. Boxers who want to get loose before their sparring session: speed bag drill, shadow boxing, and jogging in place.
4. Dynamic stretching.
Dynamic stretching is the type of warm up that gets your muscles and joints moving in a range of motion, which is great for joint mobility.
The best way to improve range of motion is through dynamic stretching. This type of warm-up exercise involves stretching as you move your body from side to side, front to back, and in and out.
For example, if you were warming up your chest, a dynamic stretch might be doing lateral lunges with your hands on a wall while you walk in place. Each time you reach the point where you can’t go any further, take a moment to hold the stretch for 30 seconds before continuing with the movement.
How Long Should I Warm Up for?
The amount of time that you should warm up for depends on your fitness level and what type of workout you’re doing. Generally, you’ll want to do something for around 10-20 minutes. If you’re a beginner, however, less warm-up time might be necessary. It all depends on where your muscles are at and how much they need to stretch before working out.
Here are four different types of warm-up exercises that you can use to help with reducing muscle stiffness and fatigue while also lubricating your joints and ligaments:
- Dynamic Stretching
- Static Stretching
- Squatting
- Plank Pose
Final thoughts.
We know that warming up your muscles before you start exercising is essential. The goal of a warm-up is to increase your body’s ability to work, which will help reduce the risk of injury.
Over time, you may find yourself doing less and less warm up exercises as your muscles get used to the workouts you are doing. But, until then, make sure to switch up your routine with different types of moves each day so they don’t become too repetitive and boring!