How to warm up before a workout: a 5-minute routine
Published 30 September 2026 by TRACK AI Coach
A good warm-up doesn’t need to be long. Five minutes of the right movements raises your heart rate and body temperature, takes your joints through the range you’re about to use, and lets you rehearse the exercises at an easy effort. Most people find their first working sets feel smoother and stronger afterwards.
What a warm-up should do
- Raise your heart rate and warm your muscles.
- Move your hips, knees, ankles and shoulders through a full range of motion.
- Practise the movement pattern you’re about to train, at a low effort.
- Shift your attention from your day to your workout.
The five-minute routine
- 60 seconds of jumping jacks or marching on the spot.
- 10 arm circles forwards and 10 backwards, small then big.
- 10 slow squats to a comfortable depth, pausing briefly at the bottom.
- 5 reverse lunges on each leg.
- 10 hip hinges: hands on hips, push your hips back with a flat back, as in a Romanian deadlift.
- 20 seconds of plank, or 5 slow push-ups with your hands on a bench.
- One or two easy sets of your first exercise before you start counting.
Tailor it to your workout
- Legs: add 10 glute bridges and a few squats with a two-second pause at the bottom.
- Upper body: add 10 push-ups against a wall, 10 slow arm swings across your chest and a few shoulder rolls.
- Cardio or intervals: build your pace over a few minutes: march, then jog on the spot, then two short, faster bursts before the real thing.
- Weights: do two or three lighter sets of your first exercise, adding a little weight each time, before your working sets.
Should you stretch before training?
Long, static stretches (holding one position for a minute or more) right before lifting can briefly reduce strength and power for some people. Short, moving stretches like the ones above are a better choice before training. Keep longer stretches for after your workout or for a separate session.
How do you know you’re warm?
You’re slightly out of breath, your body feels warm, and your joints move freely. You should not feel tired. If you do, the warm-up was a workout.
When to warm up for longer
Add a few more minutes on cold mornings, after a long day of sitting, before heavier lifting, or if a joint feels stiff. Build up gradually: more range, then a little more speed or load.
Common warm-up mistakes
- Turning it into a workout. If you’re tired before your first real set, do less.
- Only stretching. Holding stretches doesn’t raise your heart rate or rehearse the movement.
- Skipping it when you’re short on time. Cut a set from the workout instead; even three minutes helps.
- Jumping straight to your hardest set. Build up: easy, then moderate, then working effort.
Does warming up prevent injuries?
Structured warm-up programmes have been shown to reduce injuries in some team sports, such as football. For a home workout, the most noticeable benefit is that you move better: your first reps are smoother, and if a joint feels off, you notice while the effort is still low.
And cooling down?
A cool-down isn’t essential, but a few minutes of easy walking lets your breathing and heart rate settle, and it’s a good moment for the longer stretches that don’t belong in your warm-up. Hold each one for 20 to 30 seconds and breathe slowly.
The TRACK AI coach asks you to hold still for a second before each set so it can calibrate to your body. The last move of your warm-up is a good moment to set your phone up.