The 6 best dynamic exercises to start your routine

Before starting an exercise routine, you should warm up.

Unfortunately, warming up is the most overlooked exercise when engaging in any physical activity, such as weight training or sports. Many people tend to avoid them because they find them boring or slow for their liking, but they should keep in mind that this is the most important part.

People who perform warm-up movements may not be doing it the right way. Not only are you heating up your body in a bad way, but you are also putting your body at risk, increasing your risk of injury.

If you want to perform your routine in the best way, you must try these 6 dynamic exercises to start your training routine .

Benefits of warming up before training

Warming up is more important than you think because of the following:

• Increases the heart rate, which helps increase blood flow.
• It raises the body temperature and at the same time awakens the muscular and nervous system.

• They improve the body's range of motion and greatly reduce the risk of injury.

To optimize the time you spend exercising, you need to warm up the muscles that you are going to use in your routine. Warming up ensures that you are recruiting the correct muscles for your specific workout as you move from exercise to exercise.

It should also be noted that warm-up exercises teach you to move . Once you've released your range of motion, it's time to use it to your advantage. Try to start small to improve your ability to move, then use the rest of your warm-up (and training) to solidify that new range.

3 tips for a good warm-up

1. Massage your muscles

Before warming up, we recommend doing a series of massages with the help of a foam roller or other massage tool that helps your body improve the flow of blood through the muscles . You can perform these massages in various muscle areas, such as the buttocks, pectorals and legs.

2. Keep a good breath

When training, breathing is essential. Therefore, you must make sure to focus during warm-up and training, this will help you improve your physical performance.

The diaphragm plays a huge role when it comes to overall body positioning and functionality, so be sure to pay attention to it.

3. Perform exercises and workouts with dynamic movements

You have to keep in mind that a good warm-up implies a physical activity with better performance. To do this, it is essential that you perform several high intensity movements in a short period of time, this will help your body to warm up.

6 dynamic exercises to warm up

1. Cat-cow position

This warm-up movement is an original pose from a yoga workout. To do this, take your time and breathe deeply as you do it, especially using your back and abs.

To do this exercise:

1. Begin by getting on all fours, to be more specific, in the position of a cat.
2. Then lift your back while arching it up (like a scared cat).
3. Next, exhale as you reverse the movement so that your belly presses down, while lifting your head to look at the ceiling (or as high as possible for your neck).

You can repeat this movement for at least two or three sets of five reps.

2. Hip lift with arm lift

This exercise specifically uses the hamstring and adductor muscles to help you properly align your hip (pelvic) bones .

To do this exercise:

1. Begin by lying on your back, while placing your feet on the wall with a small ball between your knees. Your knees and hips should be at 90 degrees.
2. Use your hamstrings to push your knees up about six cm, feeling your pelvis roll back (posterior pelvic tilt) as you lift slightly off the floor.
3. Then position your left knee back and push your right knee forward. Now, place your right arm on the ground above your head and extend your left arm forward as far as you can.
4. Finally, take your right foot off the wall and take five breaths through your nose and exhale through your mouth with a pause of three to five seconds after each exhale.

You can repeat this movement for at least two or three sets of five reps.

3. Lying buttock stretch

The glutes are known to be a huge muscle group which is involved in almost every movement of the lower body. For this same reason, it is essential that you perform warm-up exercises for this area before performing leg exercises.

To do this exercise:

1. Begin by lying on your left side, while placing a resistance band between your knees.
2. Next, place your feet against the wall while resting them on top of a foam roller, slide your glutes towards the wall, and bend your knees.
3. Take a deep breath, stretch your left knee back as you push your right knee forward.
4. While keeping both feet on the wall, raise your right knee. Try to stretch your left hip further back as you inhale.

You can repeat this movement for two to three sets with five reps on each side.

4. Breathing exercises and core activation

This exercise helps you focus on breathing to warm up your body properly.

To perform this exercise:

1. Wrap a resistance band around a pole, then lie on your back with one handle of the band in each hand.
2. Place both knees on your chest, while keeping your lower back on the floor.
3. While holding your knees together, pull the band back as you fully stretch your arms. Hold this position for 8 breaths before starting over again.

You can do this exercise for two to three sets of five reps.

5. Leg drop with resistance band

This other warm-up exercise relies on the muscles in your core, which will help you activate your core muscles . To do it:

1. Lie on your back, with your feet stretched out in the air, your thighs tight, and your toes back.
2. Hold the handles of the band with each hand and pull the resistance band down.
3. While keeping your lower back pressed against the floor, lower one leg as far as possible.

You can do eight repetitions for each leg.

6. Kneeling Cane Quadriceps Stretch

This warm-up exercise faces your obliques against your thighs, preparing them for the next high intensity workout.

To do this move:

1. You must place yourself on your knees, with your shoulder, hips and positioned one above the other.
2. Place your back leg against the ground, and then place your tailbone under your body. Do all of these movements while holding a cane in front of you.

You can perform these movements for about 30 seconds on each side.

conclusion

Warm-up movements are very important before doing any type of training, as they help your body avoid any type of physical injury. At the same time, it helps your body achieve a better range of motion while helping it function better.

References

• James, C. 10 Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises to Prime You for Your Workout. For Livestrong [Reviewed June 2019].