As tempting as it may be to jump right into a workout, it’s not the best idea. Doing so can prevent you from getting the most out of your workout since your muscles and joints aren’t warm and prepared for the stress you’ll put on them, and it can even lead to injury. Depending on the style of training you do, your warmup may look different, but if you’re going on a run or doing some sort of strength or resistance training, taking the time to go through a dynamic warmup is a must.
To help you get the most out of your training, Kelsey Wells, a NASM-certified trainer and creator of the PWR programs on the SWEAT app, created this seven-minute, full-body warmup. “Warming up your muscles prior to working out is a key part of training and can help to activate your muscles you are about to work and reduce your risk of injury,” Wells told POPSUGAR.
Wells’s warmup includes a range of cardio and dynamic stretching that can be done before most workouts and will help mobilize your joints, increase your heart rate, and get more blood pumping to your muscles, she explained. Before you crush your workout, make sure you complete this quick and effective warmup!
Kelsey Wells’s Full-Body Warmup
- Jumping jack: 60 seconds
- Cat Cow: 60 seconds
- Four-point thoracic rotation: 60 seconds
- High plank to Downward Dog and calf pump: 60 seconds
- Inchworm: 60 seconds
- Alternating lunge: 60 seconds
- Plank: 60 seconds
Love trying new workouts? Want a community to share your fitness goals with? Come join our Facebook group POPSUGAR Workout Club. There, you can find advice on making the best out of every sweat session and everything else you need to help you on your road to healthy living.