Warming up before a workout can help get your blood flowing, improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.
Even in a world where it’s normal to go from sitting at a desk all day straight to the gym, it’s crucial to prepare the muscles and joints for exercise. However, people often skip this step before one cardio activity in particular: walking.
Let’s be clear: Walking is a workout — and a great one.
“Walking every day for exercise has transformed my physical and mental health, but many people underestimate this type of movement,” Brianna Steinhilber, certified personal trainer and TODAY.com health editor, explains.
“Yes, walking is lower impact and less intense than running, but it’s still a full-body workout and it’s great for your cardiovascular health.”
In order to get the most out of walking, you should treat it like a workout — that means wearing supportive shoes, maintaining proper form and, of course, warming up.
Here’s the five-minute walking warmup Steinhilber never skips:
Trainer Tip of the Day: I Never Skip This Five-Minute Warmup Routine Before Walking
All you need is five minutes to do a full-body, dynamic walking warmup. Steinhilber’s favorite routine features a set of six controlled movements:
Gate openersAnkle CARS (controlled articulate rotations)Hamstring sweepsReverse lungesWalking marchesGood mornings
Your hips, knees and ankles will thank you later.
Why It Matters
Warming up before walking has many benefits.
No. 1, it loosens up the hips. “Many people suffer from tight hips, since they are caused by both a sedentary and overactive lifestyle,” Steinhilber says.
The “gate openers” exercise improves flexibility in the hip joints, reduces stiffness in the lower back and strengthens the glutes, core and inner thighs.
In addition to the hips, you should always warm up your ankles before any walk, says Steinhilber. This commonly-injured joint provides support and stability as we move.
Ankle CARS reduce the risk of sprains by lubricating the ankle joint, which improves mobility and strengthens the tissues around the ankle as well, Steinhilber explains.
Hamstring sweeps will stretch and warm up the muscles in the back of the legs, which often get tight from prolonged sitting.
Reverse lunges activate the lower body, targeting the glutes, hamstrings and quads. “We need to utilize these muscles to propel us forward when walking,” Steinhilber adds.
Of course, you can’t forget about the core. Walking marches will engage the muscles in our abdomen and back, which help us maintain balance, stability and proper walking mechanics.
Finally, finishing off with “good morning” exercises will warm up the entire back of the body, improving posture and firing up the rest of the muscles that power us through a walk.
How to Get Started
In order to do this five-minute warmup, all you need is a level surface stable surface.
Perform 10–12 reps of each exercise:
Gate Openers: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips, lift one knee up until the thigh is waist-level. Then, rotate your entire leg outward, as if it’s a gate door being opened. Repeat using the other leg.Ankle CARS: In an upright stance, lift one leg out in front of you with your toes pointed up. Slowly rotate the ankle by drawing circles with your foot, first clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Repeat with the other ankle. Hamstring sweeps: Step forward with one leg, keeping it straight with your heel on the ground, and bend the other leg for support. Hinge at the hips, keeping your spine straight, then sweep both arms past your feet and up in front of you. Repeat using the other leg.Reverse lunges: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and step backward with one foot, lowering your body until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle, then drive up through your front leg. Repeat on the other side.Walking marches: Stand upright with both arms extended above your head, palms facing inward. Slowly lift one leg in front of you to waist-level, until the knee is bent at 90 degrees, then come back down, keeping your tailbone tucked in. Repeat on the other leg.Good mornings: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head. Slowly hinge at the hips, bending your knees slightly and keeping your back straight. Engage your core as you bring your upper body back up to the starting position.
Try more stretches to warm up for a walk.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.