List of Warm up Exercises and Benefits

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warming up before exercise

Warming up before a workout is key for reducing injury. Personal trainer and nutritionist Albert Matheny says that warming up “helps make sure you don’t load your joints, tendons, and ligaments too much, too soon.” So we asked Matheny, founder of SoHo Strength Lab and Promix Nutrition, to come up with a list of warm-up exercises everyone should do before any type of workout. It’s time to get your gym on.

1. General Warm-Up:

General Warm-Up1


2. Sport Specific Warm Up:

Sport Specific Warm Up2


3. Dynamic Stretches:

Dynamic Stretches3

Perform one set of 10 reps of each of the following movements. The movements increase in intensity and range of motion as you get closer to positional drills.

a. Walking Knee Hugs (hip mobility and glute stretch):

Rise up onto your toes for each hug to activate your calf muscles and work your balance.

b. Backward Ninjas (glute activation and hamstring stretch).

The true name for these is “Inverted Hamstring Stretches,” but one of my high school players called them “Backward Ninjas,” and it stuck. Try to keep your hips square. Easier said than done. In the video, AJ is still working on it.

c. Backward Skips (glute engagement).

This is important because glute activation increases sprinting power and reduces the risk of hamstring strains. Swing the arms back, nice and loose, to increase mobility in the shoulders.