If you’re all geared up with your sports equipment and ready to start a game of soccer, basketball, or go for a run, don’t start yet! To help you avoid injury, your body needs to be warmed up before you begin any strenuous activity, especially something that involves quick accelerations like a sport. Without a warm-up, you’re more likely to pull a muscle or throw out your back. Read on to learn how to prep for any workout with these full-body warm-up moves. 

Prep for Any Workout with These Full-Body Warm-Ups

Walking Runner’s Lunges

Set aside your sports equipment and do some walking runner’s lunges. Take one giant step forward, bending your front knee while keeping your back knee off the ground. Lift your chest and square your hips. You’ll feel this stretch in the hamstring of your back leg and in your hips flexors. 

Walking Toe Touches

For this arm-up, just lift one leg out in front of you as high and straight as possible and reach for your toes with your opposite arm. Then switch legs and arms. You should feel this in your hamstrings and throughout your back. As you warm up, you can pick up the pace of this exercise, taking quick giant steps to rev your heart rate.

Push Ups to Side Planks

You don’t need any sports equipment for this warm-up, either! Get down into a push-up position, either on your toes or your knees, and then move into a side plank. Come back through the center and go to a side plank on your other side. Take it to the next level by adding a push-up between sides! This exercise will warm up your upper body and your entire back. 

Squat Jumps

Here’s where you warm up your cardiovascular system! Get down into a squat position, then launch yourself off the ground, coming back to land gently in another squat. Pick up the pace, and you’ll feel your heart rate rise and your quads burn. Add a core warm-up by keeping your hands behind your head to make your abdominal muscles support you. 

All warmed up and ready to play? Sports & Sports in Ashtabula, OH, is a sports store that gets you in the game with their huge selection of sports equipment, workout wear, and accessories at great prices. Sports & Sports has been providing name-brand sporting goods and apparel since 1983, including custom branded printing and embroidery for teams and clubs. Visit their website to view their products, and call (440) 998-4664 for more information.