Demo: Dynamic Warm Up Stretches
This is a series of dynamic stretches that you can use as a warm up before your workout or just on their own if you are feeling less than mobile.
The whole thing only takes just over 5 minutes and is well worth the inclusion into your regular regimen. It’s also a great way to start your day and will have you feeling awake and alert as well as limber!
Enjoy the windy Bondi Beach scenes…
The Stretches
Starting with the downward dog, to get right into those calves, and then into straight arm plank which gets the upper body and core activated and gets my shoulders moving and hamstrings. I often use a slight knee bend as my hamstrings still need to be protected (more on that next week!). Do what you feel is right here, listen to your body, knee bend or straight legs.
Up next is the hips series. Really sink in to these. Remember to squeeze your glutes and get that hip tilt to make the stretches even more effective. Again, do what feels right. Both sides need to get the work out here and downward dog is a nice way to transition.
Cat/cow is amazing to mobilise the spine and get into your lower back. I use the thread the needle movement to open up the chest here too. I often get quite stiff in my lower back, as do most people, and this is fantastic to warm that area up.
Rotations up next - abs and more spine mobilisation. Keep your abs tight.
Get your glutes activated with a bridge, go to single leg if you need the extra stretch.
Sitting in the squat is one of my favourite movements and my clients know this very well. Move from side to side and lift up the arm to get right in there.
Ankle mobility brings up the end - check out my ankle mobility article for more on that.
Again, I do this every day, even when I’m not training.
Give it a go and let me know how you feel!
