Would you just go out and run a marathon without a warm up? Or squat 250lbs without a warm up? Then why do people believe that yoga doesn’t need a warm up? It so does! If you need a yoga warm up before you practice then I got you covered with this 5-minute class.
A good yoga class follows the same principle of progression: warm up, “the work” and cool down. A good warm up is essential, because it prepares the body (and mind) for movements to come and helps prevent injury. While a longer warm up is ideal, sometimes 5 minutes is enough.
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Yoga warm up poses
In the 5 minutes warm up we end up standing but firstly begin laying on the floor to ground and center. After three breaths, bend the knees and begin a windshield wiper to mobilize the hips.
Secondly in this warm up we explore the movement of the spine, shoulders, knees, and hips. Yep, this one is a four in one! Begin with the knees bent and arms across the abdomen, hands resting on opposite sides of the pelvis. Begin an arch and flatten of the lumbar spine and pelvis. Introduce an arm pattern of sweeping the arms up overhead and out. Imagine taking a sweater off.
Then to add more hip, knee, and muscular activation of the posterior chain integrate the arch into a hip bridge. The video explains this much better than photos could. Once we’ve completed a few repetitions, draw the knees to the chest and roll over to hands and knees for some cat and cow.
As we are on all fours lets continue a yoga warm up for the hips, knees and spine. Extend one leg behind and in three repetitions draw the knee to the same side elbow, chest, and opposite side elbow. Finish by holding the leg back and extending the opposite arm for a quadruped balance.
Repeat all the leg movement on the other side, then we begin our ascent to standing with downward facing dog. Take a pedal through the feet to warm up the ankles, and get blood flow to the feet and calves.
From downward dog step to the hands, relaxing into forward fold. Take a half sun salutation, ending with at the front of your mat in standing taking three breaths. From here you can continue your yoga or other exercises, or simply go about your day!
By allowing just 5 minutes to warm up for our yoga practice we can avoid over stretching cold muscles. But it’s not just about the body, we bring our minds present onto our mat. In turn, making yoga less of workout and more about mindful movement.
Questions
- Do you warm-up before exercise?
- Have you injured yourself before during workouts?
- Which area of your body needs more warming up?
7 minute yoga flow – standing warrior sequence
Khushboo
Warm up is really important before any type of exercise or physical workout. I also do light warm up
Di Hickman
Awesome! What kind of exercise do you usually do?
Elena Toma
I have learned so much from your post about yoga. I warm up before every kind of exercise.
Di Hickman
Awesome! What kind of exercise do you usually do?
Nkem
Warming up is so important. Thank you for sharing these. I’ll certainly incorporate them into my next workout.
Di Hickman
Great!
Mayuri
I love Yoga! I do warm up exercises before starting a session and these are some great warm-up exercises to do. I am going to try these in my exercise routine.
Di Hickman
awesome! glad you found it helpful!
Britt K
Great advice! I think a lot of people overlook the warmup when discussing yoga simply due to the fact that a lot of people think yoga is ‘just stretching’. They fail to see the strength aspect of it and the ways that you are pushing your body throughout a workout.
Di Hickman
100%. So many people get injuries from over stretching cold muscles.
Amalia Silva
I love yoga stretch and warm-up, really great to prepare your body for exercise!
Di Hickman
It really does! What exercise do you do usually?
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
A warm up before any workout is important. I always warm up and cool down at the end just to be safe.
Di Hickman
That’s great to hear!
Lyosha
cat-cow and knee to elbow (I do both elbows) from plank are musts for my practice, best warm up!
Di Hickman
Yep the knee to elbow is a great warm up for spine, hips, knees, arms, shoulders, core and chest. So useful!
Azubike Eze
You appear quite natural in your poses. I’ll try some of the poses to see if it’s as easy as you make it look. Thanks for the information about the importance of warm ups before any exercise routine.
Di Hickman
This is my favorite thing to do, rolling around on the floor lol!