A proper warm up before your work out is crucial for preventing injury. These exercises, however, while being suitable preparation for any type of work out, have many benefits of their own.
They can be practiced on a daily basis, and will improve the condition of your joints and ligaments, as well as being a good starting point for flexibility training. Here's the entire routine.
Whole Body
First, to get the blood flowing, start by placing your feet shoulder width apart with your legs straight. Bend at the waist, keeping your knees straight, touch the ground between your legs, then reach back and touch the ground behind your legs. Come up and arch your lower back, feeling the stretch. Repeat for 7 counts of 3
Neck
Turn the head from side to side, as far as it can comfortably go (this is not meant to be a stretch). 7 counts
Tilt the head back, then Tilt the head foreword tucking your chin. 7 counts
Rotate head back and forth halfway around, starting with your head tilted back. 7 counts, then tuck your chin. 7 counts
Shoulders
Arms straight out at your sides. Make wide circles from the shoulder. Forward 25 counts, then backwards for 25 counts
Arms and Wrists
Arms in front of you, thumbs down. Palms facing away from each other. Left hand over right. Put your palms together, and interlace the fingers. Rotate your wrists all the way around until your elbows are straight, feel the stretch, then rotate them back. 7 counts, then hold for a few seconds. Switch hands and repeat.
Hips and Core
Put your hands on your hips, feet shoulder width apart. Rotate your hips in a wide circle. 10 counts one way, then 10 counts the other.
Knees and Legs
Put your feet together, lean forward, and put your hands on your knees. Bend at the knee, putting your weight on your heels. Go as low as you can, then come back up, straightening your knees. Bend at the waist, keeping your legs straight. Grab your ankles, and pull your body towards your legs. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings, then come back up. Repeat for 10 counts
The Horse Stance
This stance has been used by martial artists for centuries to condition their legs and hips.
Step out with your left leg into a wide stance, a bit wider than shoulder width. Keep your feet parallel, toes facing foreword, and weight evenly distributed. Keeping your back straight, slowly sit into a shallow squat. I recommend holding your hands out in front of you to keep your balance. Don't let your knees go past your toes. Keep your shins perpendicular to the ground. Relax your hips, and bend your knees a bit more. Feel the ground beneath you. Hold this stance for 20 seconds. Slowly stand back up and shake your legs out.
Dynamic Leg Swings
Now that your joints are primed, and your bodies loose, lets do some dynamic movements to raise your heart rate. Put one foot a step in front of the other. Keeping your hips forward. Swing your back leg in an upward motion as high as it will comfortably go while keeping the knee flexed and leg straight. Start out low, and try to swing it a bit higher each repetition. Keep the foot you are standing on flat, with the heel on the ground. Try not to come up on your toes. It's ok if your foot pivots a bit. Also, try to maintain good posture. Avoid hunching, and lowering your head. It won't make your leg go any higher! 25 reps each leg
There you have it. Practicing the entire routine on a regular basis will yield the most benefits, but you can incorporate whatever you find most useful for the occasion, or add other exercises if you need to. There are some floor exercises that can be adapted and incorporated, but I'm going to save those for the segment on flexibility training, as they are deep stretches. The point here is just to get your body prepared for increasingly advanced activity. Whatever your current level of fitness may be, don't be discouraged if you find proper execution of these exercises to be difficult. Keep practicing, and you will be amazed how quickly you improve. Next up, Strength Training.
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