Warm Up Like the Workout

The best warm-up rehearses what you are about to do, only gentler. A dynamic warm-up wakes up the right muscles, raises their temperature, and grooves the movement patterns — without the temporary loss of power that static holds cause.

Match the warm-up to the activity. Before running, do leg swings, walking lunges, and high knees. Before lifting, run through the lifts themselves with light weight through full range of motion.

The pattern is simple: move the joints and muscles you are about to load, build intensity gradually, and arrive at your first hard effort already primed.