If you skip warming up your legs, you may feel like you’re saving time that could be spent on a few extra reps. But skipping your lower body warm-up can actually undermine your effectiveness and increase your risk of injury.
A quick warm-up not only increases blood flow to your muscles, benefiting soft tissue extensibility and muscle-building contractions, but it also sends a signal to your brain that your body is getting to work, explains Michael Julom, CPA, founder of ThisIsWhyImFit.
This can make your muscles and joints less susceptible to injury, he added.
Setting aside 10 to 15 minutes to warm up at the beginning of a leg workout is a worthwhile investment. Make sure your warm-up fits into your program.
Not sure what to expect? The list of exercises below will help you get the most out of your leg warm-up.
“This includes each muscle you’ll be working on in every leg day workout you can imagine,” says Jurom. “It prepares your joints, muscles, and brain for work.”
1. Brisk walk or jog
Think of this like a warm-up for a warm-up. A short walk or jog (even 10 minutes) gets your blood circulating, warms your body’s tissues, and gives you proper head space to lift your body. This is especially useful if you sit in front of your computer all day or just woke up for an early morning workout.
Jurom hack? “I park my car farthest from the gym and walk in from there,” he says.
2. Forward leg swing
Swinging your legs forward and sideways activates your lower back and glutes. “Start with a small range of motion and move your legs intentionally rather than letting momentum swing your legs like a pendulum,” advises Jurom.
- Stand tall with your feet together and your arms stretched out to the sides, or grab a stable surface next to you for balance.
- Shift your weight to your left foot and lift your right foot off the floor.
- Swing your right leg forward until your thigh is parallel to the floor, then swing it back as far as you can comfortably. Continue shaking back and forth for 30 seconds.
- Switch legs and repeat, completing 3 sets per side.
3. Lateral swing of the legs
- Stand tall with your feet together and your arms extended to your sides or grab a stable surface in front of you for balance.
- Shift your weight to your left leg and raise your right leg to your right side.
- Swing your right leg back and forth in front of your left leg, keeping your chest up, core engaged, and back flat. Continue for 30 seconds.
- Switch legs and repeat, completing 3 sets per side.
4. Supported squats
“Supported squats loosen your knees and hips, warm up all your muscles, and put less strain on your lumbar spine,” says Jurom. “This is perfect because you start by supporting your entire body weight with your arms, and then you can bend and straighten your knees and hips. You gradually shift support from your arms to your legs by reducing the tension on whatever you’re holding on to.”
- Secure a suspension trainer or strong resistance tube to an overhead anchor point. If you don’t have access to a suspension trainer or tubes, you can hold on to a squat rack or heavy equipment for support.
- Grasp the handles with both hands and stand facing the anchor point with your feet hip-width apart. Make sure it is far enough away from the anchor point so that the strap is under tension.
- Using the straps to support your weight, bend your knees and push your hips back, lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your back flat and your core tight.
- Push your legs back to a standing position.
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps each. After the first set, gradually begin to transfer the resistance from the arms to the legs.
If you’re going to deadlift, use body weight Good morning. Strengthens proper hip hinge movement while activating the hamstrings and glutes. “Pay special attention to squeezing your glutes,” says Jurom.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your fingertips gently behind your ears.
- Keeping your back flat and your core tight, push your hips back and hinge at the hips, keeping your knees slightly bent, lowering your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor or you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
- Pause, then return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes and driving your hips forward.
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps each.
Walking lunges strengthen your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves while actively stretching your hip extensors. “Start with a limited range of motion,” says Jurom. “Once your hips and knees feel comfortable, increase your stride length and depth as needed.”
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Option with light dumbbells.
- Keeping your chest up, shoulders back, core engaged, and back flat, take a big step forward with your right foot and lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Your front knee should be in line with your ankle, and your knee should not go over your toes.
- Push through your front foot and push your right heel down as you bring your left leg forward to return to a standing position.
- Lunge forward again, this time with your left foot. Continue alternating legs and doing 8 to 10 lunges on each side. Complete 3 sets.
