5-Minute Warm-Up
- Time
- 5:00
- Level
- All levels
- Equipment
- None.
A good warm-up gets warmer, not looser. These are moving exercises that raise your heart rate, take your joints through their full range, and wake up the muscles you are about to use.
Use it before strength training, a run, a game, or a hike.
March in place
Swing the arms. Gradually lift the knees higher.
0:30
Next: Arm circles
The routine
- 30s
March in place
Swing the arms. Gradually lift the knees higher.
- 30s
Arm circles
Forward for 15 seconds, backward for 15.
- 30s
Hip circles
Hands on hips, big slow circles. Switch direction at halfway.
- 30s
Bodyweight squats
Sit back and down, chest up. Easy pace.
- 30s
Walking lunges or reverse lunges
Alternate legs. Reach the arms overhead as you lunge.
- 30s
Leg swings
Hold a wall. Swing one leg forward and back, then switch at halfway.
- 30s
Inchworm
Fold forward, walk the hands out to a plank, walk them back.
- 30s
World's greatest stretch
Lunge, hand inside the front foot, rotate the other arm to the ceiling. Alternate.
- 30s
Jumping jacks
Light and springy.
Easier: Step-jacks: step one foot out at a time.
- 30s
High knees
Quick feet. Finish with your heart rate up.
Tips
- Match the warm-up to the work. Before a heavy lift, add a couple of light sets of that lift after this.
Questions
Is a 5-minute warm-up enough?
For most workouts, yes. Your body temperature and heart rate rise within a few minutes of moving. For sprinting or heavy lifting, add some specific practice sets afterward.
Should I stretch before working out?
Moving stretches like these, yes. Long held stretches are better saved for afterward — see the 5-minute cool-down.
Got another five minutes?
Why five minutes at a time works: movement snacks.