Complete Warm-Up Guide for Beginners: Dynamic Stretching and Full Body Routine

According to fitness professionals from the American Council on Exercise, warming up for even a few minutes can help improve one’s flexibility, strength and endurance substantially. Many people are still stuck in outdated practices that incorporate a lot of heavy, static stretches before exercising whereas, according to modern fitness research, warm-ups should include the use of dynamic stretching.

As recommended by organizations such as Mayo Clinic, using dynamic stretching as your warm-up is more effective in preparing your body for exercise than doing static stretching. Static stretching is more effective for use in recovering after an exercise.

Dynamic Stretching Defined

Dynamic stretching includes movement that is controlled and takes joints through the entire range of motion, but it is done in an active manner to warm the muscles and to raise your heart rate before working out. Dynamic warming up can be done with several moves and includes light jogging as well.

This also allows you to get warmed up by doing movements that are actually part of your workout and will thus be very effective for your warm up. Dynamic stretching can be used prior to any type of workout such as strength training, cardio or sports.

Benefits of Dynamic Stretching

• Improves range of motion
• Improves flexibility
• Encourages blood flow
• Awakens the major muscle groups that will be used during the workout

Basic Beginner Full Body Warm-Up

A full-body warm-up includes activating all of the major muscle groups in your body, so doing a full-body warm-up for at least 5 to 10 minutes as a beginner will prepare you for any workout you will do. Many fitness trainers recommend combining some type of light cardiovascular movement with dynamic stretching in order to raise your heart rate and condition your muscles at the same time.

Beginner Step by Step Routine

The first thing you want to do is to warm up your body with light cardio workout for 2 to 3 minutes like walking briskly or climbing stairs always use light intensity movements. This helps your body transition from rest to activity effectively.

Lower Body Activation

• Leg Swings – 10 Each Leg
• Torso Twists – 15 Repetitions
• 12 bodyweight squats
• 10 forward lunges on each leg
• 10 leg swing on each leg

Upper Body Warm-Up Exercises

Warming up your upper body will also improve your posture and decrease the chance of injuring yourself. According to experts at the National Strength and Conditioning Association, performing a proper upper body warm-up is beneficial in both improving joint mobility and activating the muscles in your upper body that need to be activated before performing any activity.

When you properly warm-up your upper body, you will be better equipped to complete resistance exercises as well as perform movements throughout your daily routine without inhibiting your performance. Additionally, warming up your upper body will help you to maintain good form while performing the exercise you perform.

Examples of Upper Body Warm-Up Exercises

• Arm circles (10 Arm Circles large and small direction forward and backward)
• Shoulder Rolls (10 times)
• Push-ups against wall or on your knees (8-10 times)

Why Use Cardio-Based Upper Body Warm-Ups

Warming Up your upper body through cardio based movements will increase your heart rate, and enhance the efficiency at which your body can use oxygen to perform at a higher level of strength and endurance. Warming Up Upper Body Cardio Based Movements also can prevent injury to your shoulders and muscles becoming tight prior doing your strength training exercises.

For beginner athletes, warming up by way of large, full body motions will condition their bodies for continued successful strength training and ultimately to develop proper technique and strength for long-term training benefits. According to the World Health Organization, performing cardiovascular activity, including a light warm up will increase the effectiveness of your workout.

Quick Cardio Warm-Up Routine

• Jog in Place – 1 Minute
• High Knees – 30 seconds

Benefits of Cardio Warm-Up Exercises

Doing a warm-up exercise using your heart rate as a guide helps to create a smooth transition between your body being at rest vs. your body working. This helps to decrease the amount of shock your body will experience on your muscles and joints when you move from a comfortable position to one of more intensity.

Harvard Health Publishing has stated that inadequate preparation will negatively affect both the immediate and long-term performance capacity of your body, and that it may actually limit your progress in the future. For many new exercisers it is very important to set up an exercise program that is safe and structured properly.

Common Warm-Up Mistakes to Avoid

Another common mistake made by beginning exercisers is lacking in what is an appropriate warm-up exercise for their particular activity type. Another type of mistake that many new exercisers make is performing static stretching exercises prior to getting ready for their workout.

If a new exerciser performs sustained static stretching they will inhibit the development of strength in their muscle, and they will also decrease their body’s ability to respond quickly when they engage in an activity. Therefore, instructors from modern training programs are now often recommending that new exercisers use dynamic movements instead.

Do Not Do Static Stretching Prior to Working Out

Dynamic movements allow new exercisers to activate their muscle groups through controlled movements prior to performing a workout, thereby greatly assisting them in developing improved flexibility, greater range of motion, and better coordination while performing athletic activities.

For beginning exercisers, performing similar exercises or movements to the activity that they will perform during their full workout is much better than holding one specific position for a lengthy period of time.

Proper Warm-Up Strategy for Best Results

By rushing through the warm-up and having poor technique new exercisers may not prepare their muscles properly to perform the exercise they wish to engage in performing during their workout. If an individual takes an additional amount of time to properly complete their warm-up exercises before participating in their designated workout, they are much more likely to experience increased performance and decreased chances of injury.

New exercisers should perform the warm-up exercises for an appropriate time-frame and in phases ensuring a gradual change for their body to transition from a resting state to an active state.

Simple and Effective Warm-Up Routine

A successful warm-up should be simple and easy and part of the workout. This will alleviate having to create and clarify how to complete a warm-up; this saves time and therefore fosters long-term commitment to physical fitness.

Recommended Duration

• Five to ten minutes fixed total routine

Staying Consistent with Warm-Ups

For any habit, staying motivated to use the habit regularly is important. You may want to keep track of your workout and note the performance improvement from doing the warm-up properly; this will cause you to see more value from the time that you spend doing that activity.

You may also feel more energetic and confident because you are doing the warm-up correctly. This will be especially true for a new exerciser; the warm-up will create a strong and safe foundation.

Long-Term Benefits of Proper Warm-Ups

By understanding the difference between dynamic stretching and static stretching and by following a simple procedure for doing the warm-up; it will more likely be carried out consistently and correctly as part of your fitness journey. The need for having a proper warm-up and consistency in physical activity has been consistently communicated by experts from publicly-funded organizations such as the World Health Organization.

You will not need to do long and complicated exercises to do a proper warm-up; just a few minutes of doing it correctly has an enormous impact on the overall experience of exercising for you. If you are consistent with this habit, listen to your body; gradually improve upon your warm-up results.

Over time, this small habit of warming up should reflect decrease in injury, improved performance, and an enjoyable experience for your entire workout.