Working Out at Home? Warm Up Like You Mean It!

By Matthew Foley

In the aftermath of holiday shopping, visiting family, and cramming in “one more” holiday cookie, getting yourself back to the gym may be the last thing on your mind. Working out at home may be looking especially enticing, for good reason! No commute, no crowd, (no *ahem* omicron,) and all you need is space for a yoga mat.

But a home workout isn’t an excuse to skip the proper warmup we need before getting into resistance training or cardio. Follow this routine to prep your mind, body, and breath for your next at-home workout!

Before you really start moving, loosen up.

Giving your body a full 5-10 minute stretch before and after your workout is crucial to helping your recovery. Stretching also helps to get blood flowing to your muscles, and warm them up to get your body optimally working, while also helping you start to already burn some calories! Take 20-30 seconds for each stretch. Be sure to breath while you hold each stretch, feeling the muscles release as you exhale.

Overhead shoulder/tricep stretch: Bend your elbow and point it at the sky. Then, pat your back with the same hand.

Crossover chest/shoulder stretch: Stretch your straight arm across your chest and hug it with the opposite arm.

Reach for toes hamstring/calf/lat stretch: With straight legs, reach for your toes (it’s okay if you can’t reach them). Hold this position, keeping your neck relaxed, head hanging to gravity. At the 15 second mark, put your hands behind your back and lift them as high as you comfortably can to stretch out your lats. Hold for another 15 seconds.

Quad stretch: Stand on one leg as you bend the other leg’s knee to bring your foot to your butt. Physically hold the foot there and hold the pose. Use a wall or other sturdy surface for balance if needed.

Side lunge hip stretch: Start with your feet/legs together. Step out to one side, bending that leg and keeping the other straight. To get an extra stretch, lean over slightly.

Once you’re stretched, it’s time to activate your core.

Working out your core isn’t just about getting a six-pack. Core activation is essential to supporting your movements and maintaining form throughout your workout. As your core strength increases, you’ll find your overall strength will improve as well.

• Breath support is core support. To begin strengthening your core, you have to connect to your breath. Start with 1 x 20 heel taps: 

  • Lie on your back and raise both feet in the air, knees bent. Imagine your lungs inflating as you inhale to prep your abs. 

  • Exhale as you draw your belly button to your spine, lowering one foot to the floor, tapping your heel as you do. 

  • Inhale as you bring the foot back up, and lower the other foot as you exhale.

  • Repeat nice and slowly twenty times, alternating legs. Keep this in mind as the proper way to support your movement with breath throughout this warmup, and throughout your workout. 

• Next, go into 2 x 14 dead bugs:

  • Raise your feet and bend your knees like you did for the heel taps, but this time raise your arms over your chest, elbows pointing to your knees. (Think being on all fours but lying on your back.)

  • From here, prime your core with an inhale, and extend your opposite arm and leg straight out on an exhale. 

  • Bring your arm and leg back to the starting position on your next inhale, and switch sides on the next exhale.

• Time to begin activating your glutes and hips as well. For this you’ll be completing 2 x 20 glute bridges:

  • Still lying on your back on the floor with flat shoulders, bend your knees, feet shoulder width apart.  

  • Inhale, press your feet into the floor, and squeeze your butt as you exhale. 

  • Support yourself with your abdominals, and keep your hips active as you lower your butt to the floor slowly and controlled. 

  • Be sure to keep your hips active to prevent your knees from drifting too far out or collapsing in. 

  • If you’d like a little extra challenge, hold the last rep for 30 seconds each set.

• Next, we’ll open up and activate your hips a little more with 1 x 30 single leg-raises (15 each leg):

  • After you’ve finished your glute bridges, extend one leg out straight, keeping the other one bent, pressed into the floor. 

  • Take your priming inhale, and exhale as you use your hips and lower abs to raise your leg straight up, and inhale as you slowly lower your leg back to the floor.

  • Some important cues to remember here: press your resting foot into the floor and draw your bellybutton to the floor as you exhale to ensure your abs stay active to support your hips.

  • To add some difficulty, crunch your obliques by reaching for the outside of your ankle with your opposite hand.

• The final abdominal warm up is 1 x 10 inch-worms: This is a great way to warm up your upper body while still activating your abs, and also giving your legs a stretch.

  • Standing, reach for your toes, and walk your hands out into a push-up position. Try to keep your legs straight, but bend them as you need as you walk your hands out on the floor. 

  • Then walk your hands back to your feet and roll back up. 

  • Repeat ten times, inhaling in between movements, exhaling to support your abs as you walk hands out/in. 

  • Add a push-up before walking your hands back to your feet for an extra challenge.

Feeling good? Great! Carving out a few minutes for these movements before your workout will make your body happy, and your workout much more effective. From all of us at Pongo Power, Happy New Year!

Throughout January, get TWO free training sessions when you purchase or upgrade to a 50-session package, or FOUR free sessions with 100-packs!