Warm-up exercises are one of the most important steps you should do when following your daily workout routine. They prepare your body for the effort you'll put in and the movement and activity during your exercises.
It's known that the body needs to do warm-up exercises before any physical activity to slowly and gradually raise heart and breathing rates, and also to boost the joints' ability to handle intense exercise and give them the flexibility needed for different movements during workouts.
A warm-up exercise is known as dynamic stretching exercise, where you move slowly and gradually to give your body the necessary energy and ability to do other exercises. This is different from static stretching exercise, which you might use to stretch your muscles.
In this article, we'll talk about 10 different exercises to warm up your body muscles, and we'll show you how to do them.
First: The Jumping Jacks exercise
- Stand with a straight back, feet steady, and arms parallel along your body.
- Jump off the ground while spreading your legs apart at a reasonable distance.
- Raise your arms straight up at a right angle with every jump.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase it if needed.
Second: Knee hug exercise while walking
- Lift one of your legs up while walking so that your knee is level with or above your thigh.
- Hug your knee with both arms. push it toward your abs or chest.
- Switch legs with every step you take on the ground.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if needed.
Third: Arm Circles exercise
- Move your arms around your shoulders in a circular motion (360 degrees) to warm up your shoulder joints.
- Do the same motion in the opposite direction.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if needed.
Fourth: Side Shuffles exercise
- Start by jogging beside yourself with your legs apart in the first step, then bring them close together again in the next step.
- Move with the same steps to the right, then repeat in the opposite direction.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase it if you need.
Fifth: Backpedaling exercise
- Stand straight, then start walking backward at a gradual speed.
- Go back again in the opposite direction while walking backward too.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase it if you need.
Sixth: Lunges exercise
- Start walking with one knee bent forward in each step so it forms a right angle while the other leg is stretched back.
- Also move the opposite way the same way.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if needed.
Seventh: Squats exercise
- Stand straight and spread your legs with a sharp angle.
- Bend your knees forward and lower your butt down with a straight back.
- Hold this position for a few seconds, then rise back up again.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if needed.
Eighth: Leg Swings Exercise
- Stand straight sideways, parallel to a wall and lean on it with one arm, while your other arm is free in the opposite direction.
- Move the leg opposite the wall forward and backward repeatedly, while keeping your other leg steady and straight on the ground.
- Keep doing this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if you need.
Ninth: Inchworms Exercise
- Get into plank position
- Rest on your hands with your arms straight and vertical on the ground, right under your shoulders.
- Lift your back and butt up high.
- Start moving with your arms and legs while in this position.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if you need to.
Tenth: Karaoke exercise
- Move quickly to the side a bit, pointing your right leg to the left, and your left arm to the right, then switch to pointing your left leg to the right and your right arm to the left.
- Keep repeating this exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, and you can increase the time if you need to.
