Maintaining your fitness routine through the colder months is the ultimate cheat code for a stronger, easier summer. You skip the pressure to get in shape over spring and keep your baseline fitness completely intact.
However, winter training requires a massive shift in how you prepare. If you want to make it to the warmer months without a major setback, you cannot skip the warm-up.
Why Cold Weather Demands More Prep
When the temperature drops, your body naturally draws blood flow toward your core to conserve heat, leaving your muscles and joints feeling tight and stiff. Because of this, skipping straight to a heavy lift or a run drastically increases your chances of pulling a cold muscle.
Taking the time to properly warm up changes that. It dilates your blood vessels, gets joint fluid moving, and ensures your muscles are primed to train safely. However, a quick three-minute shake-out won't cut it during the colder months you need a solid five to ten minutes of active prep to safely get your body ready!
Structure Your Warm-Up Like a Pro
If you aren't sure exactly how to structure your prep, our fitness team at Aquadome is here to help. Beyond just getting your muscles warm, keeping your momentum going is half the battle. To help you beat the chill, here are some of the best dynamic exercises key for warming up your body:
- Jumping Jacks: Engages your entire body while quickly elevating your heart rate and blood flow.
- High Knees: Drive your knees up toward your chest, or march vigorously in place for a low-impact alternative.
- Butt Kicks: Jog in place while kicking your heels up toward your glutes to warm up your hamstrings.
- Bodyweight Squats: Push your hips back and keep your chest up to fire up your quads, glutes, and core.
- Leg Swings: Hold a wall for balance and swing one leg forward, backward, and side-to-side to open tight hips.
- Reverse Lunges with a Reach: Step back into a lunge and reach your arms overhead to stretch your torso and hip flexors.
- Arm Circles: Extend your arms to the sides and make small, then large, forward and backward circles.
- Torso Twists: Gently twist your upper body from left to right while pivoting on your toes to warm up your spine.
- Shoulder Rolls: Roll your shoulders up, back, and down to release tension in your upper back and neck.
- Inchworms: Walk your hands out to a plank and walk them back to your feet to stretch your hamstrings and activate your core.
- World’s Greatest Stretch: From a plank, step one foot up to a runner's lunge, twist your torso, and reach your arm to the ceiling to open your entire body.
Benefits of a proper warm-up prior to exercise include:
- Preparing for cardio machines
- Engaging in dynamic stretching & movements
- Joint protection
- Increased flexibility & mobility
- Improved performance
Take the time to warm up properly, protect your body, and keep that winter momentum rolling right into summer!