BEFORE YOU BEGIN
DISCLAIMER
We are not accountable for any injury sustained by those who perform the exercises we provide. Please ensure you are able to participate in exercise by consulting your physician/medical practitioner.
PLEASE NOTE
No amount of warming up can prepare you for exercises beyond your fitness level. Please exercise responsibly. If you are new to exercise take the time to develop your fitness and ability with easier variations of an exercise and progress the intensity gradually, giving your body ample time to adapt.
Pulse Raiser
Before any physical activity, A warm-up routine should always be carried out. An effective warm-up prepares the body for the upcoming exercise, therefore enhancing the capabilities of the body as well as keeping the body safe and injury-free!​
​
An effective warm-up begins with a pulse raiser – this is typically in the form of a low-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise such as light jogging or skipping.​
​
The pulse raiser can be performed for 5-10 mins but do so until you feel physically warmer and looser. Once you feel ready to continue, we will move onto performing some dynamic stretches from head to toe!
Dynamic Stretches
CONTROL THE MOVEMENT: Don’t be tempted to rush through the stretch and lose control of the movement. Go at a slow and steady pace, always be aware of how your body is moving.
​
DON’T TAKE TOO LONG: On the flip side, going TOO slow can result in your body cooling down, meaning you may have to do the pulse raiser again. About 8-12 repetitions work for most people, If you feel you need more then do more.
​
CHALLENGE YOURSELF: Dynamic stretches aren’t the hardest thing to perform but like all aspects of training, we can always improve the quality. So try to develop the mobility in your joints every time.
​
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: If any of the dynamic stretches cause pain in a joint or surrounding tissues, it means there is a problem. In this case, it’d be unwise to continue with resistance training of that area. As previously mentioned, visit a medical practitioner or physical therapist if you experience pain when exercising.
​
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY (PART 2) : It is common to hear cracks and clicks when performing dynamic exercise. If these noises aren’t accompanied by pain then you should be okay to continue exercising but any uncertainty you have should be addressed by a professional.
Neck Mobilisations
This is a simple warm-up for the neck, that uses movements that you probably use everyday. The first mobilisation for the neck will be looking up and down as if we are nodding, the second will be shaking our head as if we are saying “no”.
It’s important to use as much range of motion at the neck to properly prepare the joint and the tissues around it.
Shoulder Rolls
This drill will supplement the first while warming the shoulders (some of the muscles around the shoulder run into parts of the neck). Here we simply roll our shoulders backwards and forwards with as much range as possible while keeping the head and chest up and forward.
Try to send the shoulders as far as possible, E.G. shrugging your shoulders up to your ears on the top portion of the rotation.
Arm Circles
Here we perform another warm-up for the shoulders and upper back but with greater inclusion of the muscles of the chest. We extend the arms out to the side and perform circles while keeping the elbow and wrist locked meaning all the movement comes from the shoulder.
These should be done both forwards and backwards, as well as big and small for maximum effect.
Hip Circles
Plant your feet a bit wider than shoulder width and describe a decent sized circle with the hips, using as much range of motion as possible while keeping your balance. When done correctly you should feel a stretch in the muscles of the hip and the groin. Remember to perform this drill both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
Open/Close Gate
Stand with your feet together, now lift one so that the thigh is at least parallel to the ground. From this suspended position, move the leg so that knee is pointing at an outward angle then return that leg to the ground. Alternate legs until finished and then begin reversing the movement, starting from the outside position and bring the leg up and inwards before replacing it onto the ground.
Both movements are the same, just reversed to ensure muscular balance. Use this drill as an opportunity to challenge your balance while on one leg!
Wrist & Ankle Circles
Our final mobilisation will be circumduction of the wrists and ankles. Describe the shape of a circle with ankles and wrists. This is a very simple mobilisation, yet very important as the feet and hands are the most frequent points of contact to the floor when exercising.
WELL
DONE!
Now you're ready to exercise. Please remember to repeat these warm ups before any of our exercises. You can also use them for cooling down afterwards too.
