Are you interested in lifting weights to meet your exercise goals but have no idea how to warm up correctly? Newcomers and even seasoned weightlifters can warm up incorrectly, which can lead to injury.

Warming up doesn’t take long if you know how to get it right, but it should be completed before every lifting session. Make it a habit, and you’ll eventually start warming up correctly without even thinking about it—it’ll become second nature.

Importance of warming up

Warming up increases blood flow to the muscles and improves flexibility. Consider the warm up phase as the body preparing for the weights that are to come. Kind of like putting engine oil in a car before you set off for a journey.

Without warming up you are likely to suffer from injury, which will set you back in terms of how much you can lift. Depending on the exercises you plan to do, you only need to spend 10-15 minutes warming up. Read onwards for simple warm up ideas that can be performed by anyone.

Warm up ideas

Cardio: Consider starting your warm ups with a light cardio session to get your heart rate up and increase blood flow to muscles gradually. This is especially a good idea if you have not exercised for a while. You could use a treadmill, an exercise bike or go for a light jog.

Lift light weights: Consider lifting very light weights to get into the motion of lifting. It prepares the mind and body for the heavy movements that are to come. At this stage, if you notice any soreness or muscle aches, you might want to reconsider the heavy weights you plan to lift in the upcoming session.

Simple warm up exercises: Do a combination of knee raises, squats, star jumps, hip rotations, arm stretches, neck rotations and more. Furthermore, 2 minutes on a skipping rope is a good idea to get the blood pumping. However, be careful not to stretch joints too hard if they are very tight. Stretching too hard when you’re very tight can sometimes cause more harm to your body, which is detrimental to your weightlifting session. You can also use your home gym station with light resistance to warm up.

Conclusion

Choose the warm-up routine from above that works best for you. Remember that you are more likely to complete a warm up every time if you somewhat enjoy the process. Give each one a try to figure out the one that works best for you.