Karla Tafra
Every workout should include a warm-up and cooldown, but not everyone always takes the time to do so. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 10 exercises to warm up your entire body in only 10 minutes—no equipment required!
The goal is to perform each of these exercises for one minute before moving on to the next. This will give you an excellent 10-minute warm-up, then you’ll be ready for anything!
Table of Contents
Burpees
The absolute king of exercises when it comes to activating all the muscles in your body, burpees are a great way to start your warmup as they require the maximum amount of energy.
Pace yourself and start slow, though. Your goal isn’t to overexert yourself or crush a record, but rather, to awaken your body and get all thosee muscles and joints ready for your workout.
Burpees are all about form and technique, so it’s important to get that right from the beginning to avoid injuries or any discomfort. There are also plenty of modifications for beginners, as well as more advanced versions for those who want to challenge themselves.
Choose the one that best suits your fitness level and stay with it for a full minute!
Jumping Jacks
A favorite move on DVD workouts for ages, jumping jacks are a great way to bring your heart rate up and get your blood pumping through your entire body. They also warm up your muscles and prep them for whatever exercise comes next.
They’re fun and fairly easy to perform, with plenty of opportunities to speed up or intensify with some more advanced and innovative versions. As always, don’t worry about hitting a specific number of repetitions—just focus on your form.
Remember, you have to hold on for an entire minute, though!
High Knees
High knees are the perfect exercise to engage and activate your core, strengthen the muscles in your legs, keep your heart rate elevated, and start working on your coordination and flexibility. It’s important to keep your upper body straight and as still as possible so you’re really engaging your abs instead of pulling from your back muscles.
You can start by just alternating lifting your legs towards your chest and then slowly increase your speed towards a more running or sprinting pace. Stay with it for a full minute, even if you have to decrease your speed in the end.
Air Squats
It’s time to start focusing on your leg muscles and air squats are one of the best ways to do so. By merely focusing on form, air squats can fine-tune that mind-to-muscle connection with your hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and calves. These can warm up your entire lower body.
They’re also a great way to loosen up and lubricate your joints, so you can avoid any strains or potential injuries during your workout. You can start slow, and then increase the speed as you perfect your form. Stay at it for one full minute.
Jumping Squats
Now that you’ve nailed down your squat form with air squats, it’s time to take it to another level and elevate your heart rate back to the jumping stage.
Use your energy to get as explosive as possible! Jump high into the air to activate your leg muscles and engage your core. Try to keep your spine as straight as possible for the full minute and avoid any jerking movements with your neck to prevent injury.
If doing this for a whole minute is too much for you, continue with air squats until the time expires.
Alternating Lunges
Another great way to activate the lower body, alternating lunges can be performed in a variety of ways. You can do front, back , side, or curtsy lunges, or a combination of all of them, which can make that minute less monotonous.
The goal is to focus on pushing through your heels and activating your leg muscles, while keeping your core engaged and active.
Lunges are pretty challenging to do for a full minute even without any equipment. However, if you want to challenge yourself, you can always add a resistance band or weights to feel that burn even more.
Wall Sits
A wall sit is one of those exercises that looks easy and might even seem so once you get in the pose, but they get harder with every passing second. Your thighs and glutes will be burning and your focus and determination will be put to the test.
If, on the other hand, you’re able to do a full minute without any problems, try adding some weight on your thighs or holding a medicine ball over your head. It’s a real game-changer!
Plank Hold
Want to engage your entire body without moving a muscle? Then, a plank hold is the way to do it! To perform it correctly, though, every muscle remain engaged and still, supporting your spine and neck.
Push away the ground with your palms and chest, as well as your toes. Hold this straight pose for the entire 60 seconds without dropping or lifting your hips. If it gets too hard, you can come down to your forearms and work on pushing through your elbows as well.
V-Sits
Although they’re known as one of the best ab exercises, V-sits actually work your entire body. When performed correctly, they activate your back, leg, and even your chest muscles. You can do them in repetitions or as a hold to really work on strengthening and toning.
As with any exercise, you can modify if necessary by bending your knees so your shins are parallel with the floor. This makes the move easier, and you won’t risk curving your lower back.
Glute Bridge
A great glute and hamstring activator, the glute bridge is fairly easy to perform. It requires no balance or special coordination, but it works wonders for preparing your lower body for any type of workout.
Pushing through your heels is crucial, so do your best to focus on that as your arms help you find leverage and support your upper back. If you wish to take it a step further, give single-leg glute bridges a try and keep on lifting for an entire minute.
Now that you’re all warmed up, it’s time to choose a workout and get down to business!
