Please check with your doctor or medical professional before beginning any fitness routine to ensure you are healthy enough to exercise.
This routine is a very basic warm-up that utilizes Dynamic Stretching Principles. You shouldn’t begin most exercise routines with Static Stretching, as you want some elasticity or bounce in your muscles. Dynamic warm-up gives you just enough of that stretch without elongating your muscles and warms up the muscles and joints you are about to engage in exercise. This will lower your risk of injury and help you in achieving your fitness goals.
If you are exercising in an area with a lot of space, you may want to do these exercises while moving - doing laps instead of timed intervals. It is not necessary but you will engage your muscles more appropriately and work your cardiovascular system slightly more than performing the routine stationary. If you don’t have the space, don’t worry. You can still achieve a successful warm up and exercises even in a smaller area. That’s what this routine is aiming for. Now it’s time to follow along.
Routine: Each exercise should be performed in 45 second intervals with little to no rest in-between each one.
1. Knee Hugs
- Start by standing with feet hip width apart.
- Lift one leg, bending at the knee.
- Using your best balance, hug that knee close to your chest
- Hold for one second before bringing that leg down
- Switch to opposite leg and repeat
2. Slow Buttkickers
- Start by standing with feet hip width apart.
- Bending at the knee, bring your heel to your butt.
- Keep that knee pointing downwards when bringing heel to butt.
- Bring foot back to starting place and repeat with opposite leg.
- Keep alternating for the desired interval.
3. Lateral Step with Lateral Arm Raises
- Start by standing with feet hip width apart.
- Slightly bend your knees, keeping your weight back on your heels.
- Bring your butt back and drop it down just a little bit.
- Take a lateral/ side step.
- Raise both your arms like you would for a Jumping Jack.
- Repeat on each side for desired interval.
4. Leg Swings
- Start with a stationary leg with slight bend in the knee.
- Have the opposite leg start back behind you.
- Swing that leg that’s behind you, keeping it straight.
- Kick it as high as you can, keeping that leg straight.
- Continue on one side, switching after the desired interval is reached.
5. Good Mornings aka Hip Hinge
- Start with your feet hip width apart and slightly bent knees.
- Push your butt behind and away from you.
- Keep pushing that butt away as you lower your torso.
- Keep that back engaged and don’t bend past your waist.
- If you feel or see your back rounding, return to your starting position.
- Repeat for the desired interval.
That is part one of our Dynamic Warm-Up Routine. What are your thoughts on what we’ve covered so far? Have you tried any of these and, if so, what was your experience? Stay tuned as we will cover Part Two of this Dynamic series. Thanks for reading and keep being awesome.