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I Tried This Five-Move Leg Day Warm-Up And My Workout Felt 10 Times Better
I have a confession. Although fitness is my day job, I don’t always start my training with a set of warm-up exercises. I know, I know—it’s important to warm up, it readies the body for activity and lessens the chance of injury. I know all this and my running warm-up routine is non-negotiable (even if it’s just a couple of lunges here and there), but when I’m about to start a strength session, I kind of forget.
I dedicate one day a week to leg workouts and normally tell myself that my 15-minute walk to the gym has done the trick, but when I stumbled across Krissy Cela’s leg day warm-up, I promised myself I would start my next session with it. Cela is the lead trainer and co-founder of fitness app EvolveYou, and has contributed plenty of sessions to Coach such as a lower-body gym workout and an abs workout for women.
Cela calls the warm-up simple—just what I was after—and you don’t need any equipment, although since you’re sitting on the floor it’s worth getting hold of an exercise mat.
Watch Krissy Cela’s Leg Day Warm-Up
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Reps for each exercise range from 12-20, and Cela recommends that you perform two sets of each move for an effective warm-up. And I found it highly effective. With each move, I felt the muscles in my lower body loosen and it helped my body wake up (it was 6am). The dynamic stretches also weren’t especially challenging or time-consuming. My warm-up was complete in under 10 minutes so I didn’t have to rush through my main workout to get back home in time to start work.
Would I do this warm-up again? Yes. I realise I’ve been selling myself short and a 15-minute walk will no longer cut it. I may even add these glute activation exercises to my pre-run lunges.
If I’ve convinced you of the merits of warming up but you’re after a full-body routine, this is Coach’s go-to gym warm-up.
And just as important as a warm-up is a warm-down, which can be as simple as continuing to move, winding down the intensity and letting your heart rate fall gradually.
Adam Smith is an accomplished individual who serves as an chief contributor at Healthify Magazine, a leading publication dedicated to promoting health and wellness. With a passion for empowering individuals to live healthier lives, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role.
