A proper warm-up is essential for a good workout. Warming up your body by stretching and preparing it for exercise can help to reduce your risk of injury, increase your flexibility and support blood and oxygen flow around your body while you’re working out.
Your warm-up should be all about preparing yourself both physically and mentally for your exercise session, helping to put you in the right headspace and physical position to go after your goals.
Your warm-up should raise your heart rate with some light cardiovascular exercise, as well as stretching the parts of your body that you’re going to be working out.
A good warm-up should last for 8-12 minutes and it should include a mix of both dynamic warm-up exercises and static stretches.
Dynamic vs Static Warm-Up Exercises
Dynamic and static warm-up exercises are designed to warm-up different muscles in different ways:
Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises
Dynamic warm-up exercises are full-body movements that can help to loosen your muscles and joints before you start exercising.
Examples of dynamic warm-up exercises include:
- Jogging on the spot
- Press-ups
- Bear crawls
- Spiderman lunges
- Lateral lunges
- Side lunges
- Power skips
- Heel walks
- Toe walks
Perform these dynamic exercises in different combinations each time you warm-up to keep your exercise routine interesting and fun, and to make sure you’re working out slightly different parts of your body every time.
Static stretches
Static warm-up exercises are usually stretches that you can do from one position. Static stretches are designed to elongate and stretch your muscle to release any stress and tension, helping to improve their flexibility ahead of your workout.
Examples of static stretches include:
- Hamstring stretch
- Calf stretch
- Hip and thigh stretch
- Shoulder stretch
- Overhead triceps stretch
- Gentle yoga stretches, such as the Downward Dog or Cobra pose
Remember that cooling down your body after your workout is just as important as warming it up, with stretching an essential part of your cooldown too. Get more tips on helping your body to recover after your workout:
Mission Critical: Post-Workout Recovery
Discover ways you can support and accelerate muscle recovery post-workout.
How to Use Protein Powder as Part of Your Warm-Up
Drinking a protein shake before or during your warm-up is another way to prepare your body for your exercise session.
Garden of Life protein powders are made from whole food ingredients, so you can be sure you’re fuelling your body with extraordinary ingredients that are designed to empower extraordinary health.
Protein can help to build muscle, and our Raw Organic Protein Powders also contain vitamin D, which contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function.
These vegan protein powders are available in a choice of great flavours, including Vanilla, Chocolate and Vanilla Chai, making them a tasty addition to pre- and post-workout shakes or smoothies.
