Best Warm-up Routines Suggested by Strivo Trainers

24 June, 2025
Warm-up Exercises

Many people ignore warm-up exercises when it comes to fixing a workout routine, and that’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make! The result? Muscle cramping, soreness, and lower fitness results. However, this can be fixed by selecting a warmup routine personalized with your fitness expert from Strivo

Our personal trainers have cultivated a list of warm-up exercises that provide maximum benefits for your workout routine. Not only can a good pre-workout warmup increase your blood flow to muscles, but it also increases core body temperature. Here is a list of warm-up exercises handpicked by our professionals:

1. Dynamic Stretching Warm-up Exercises

These types of warm-ups are the most common ones as they can engage your entire body. The main function of these types of warmups is they activate the full range of your body parts and their movements. With these exercises, you can prepare your body for intense workouts by increasing your body temperature, blood flow rate, and activating all your muscles. 

Benefits

The main benefit of these types of warmups is that you can improve flexibility and the range of motion for your body. Since the flexibility in your body decreases with age, this type of warmup can be the perfect solution for you.

Exercise Options

Here are a few dynamic stretching warm-up exercises that you can do with your fitness trainer: 

  • Arm Circles (forward and backward)
  • Leg Swings (front-to-back)
  • Torso Twists
  • Walking Lunges with an upper body twist
  • High Knees or Butt Kicks (light intensity)

2. Cardiovascular Prep Warm-ups

When it comes to starting with a slow and steady pace, cardiovascular prep warm-up exercises are a smart option recommended by Strivo professionals. This type of exercise focuses on light and low-intensity exercises that involve aerobic activity. They can slowly increase your heart rate and body temperature, which prepares you for your exercise. 

Benefits

This warmup exercise gently increases your body temperature instead of creating a spike. This warmup exercise can be incorporated for the long term, where you can slowly increase the intensity of your warmup. 

Exercise Options

Looking for different kinds of cardiovascular prep warm-up exercises? Try these:

  • Brisk Walking
  • Light Jogging
  • Cycling (low resistance)
  • Jumping Jacks (modified as needed)
  • Elliptical Trainer (low intensity)

3. Movement-Specific Warm-ups

If you want to change things up a bit from your normal and boring warm-up, you can add movement-specific warm-up exercises to your fitness routine. It’s a unique type of workout since it involves directly mimicking the movements you’ll be doing in your main workout. If you’re going to do weighted squats, you’ll be doing squats without weights in warmup with the same movements. 

Benefits

This type of warmup reduces the risk of injury by many times since your body is directly ready for the fitness routine. It prepares specific muscle groups and helps you target your body muscles more effectively. This optimizes performance and increases fitness results

Exercise Options

Incorporate these movement-specific warm-up exercises that can get you up and moving in no time:

  • Bodyweight Squats (before leg day or lower body activities)
  • Band Pull-Aparts (before upper body pushing/pulling exercises)
  • Cat-Cow Stretch (before back or core workouts)
  • Medicine Ball Slams (light ball, before power movements)
  • Box Step-Ups (low box, before jumping or high-impact activities)

4. Mobility and Activation Warm-ups

Mobility and Activation Warm-up exercises are great for easing your body into a more movement range. It includes stretches that are more targeted towards your muscle groups. It also includes exercises that strengthen the joints that will be more involved in the main workout. 

Benefits

The perfect way to describe the benefit of this warmup is that it can “Switch on” your muscles before you start your intense routine. It can enhance your joint mobility and decrease spasms and burning after heavy workouts. 

Exercise Options

Want to try something new and get mobility and activation warm-ups in your routine? Here are a few for you:

  • Foam Rolling (hamstrings, quads, glutes, back)
  • Glute Bridges
  • Bird-Dog
  • Thread the Needle (thoracic spine mobility)
  • Ankle Rotations

5. Neuromuscular Activation Warm-ups

Sometimes you just want to connect more with your body and understand your body better. Neuromuscular activation exercises can be a great addition to your main workout as they can help ground you, decrease stress, and lower cortisol levels. This entirely focuses on brain and muscle coordination and involves low-impact exercises. It includes balance and sometimes quick movements.

Benefits

You can get better control of your body, engage your muscles better, and improve your workout routines significantly. For example, in deep core exercises, your main focus would be on the ab and core muscles. With a warmup like this, you can learn how to breathe through them better and engage your muscles, which improves the efficiency of the workout

Exercise Options

Connect your mind and body with these neuromuscular activation warm-ups:

  • Pogo Hops (small, quick jumps)
  • Lateral Bounds (small jumps side to side)
  • Agility Ladder Drills (e.g., Icky Shuffle, In-and-Out)
  • Single-Leg Balance Drills
  • Mini-Band Walks (sideways, forward, backward)

How Strivo Helps In Selecting The Best Warm-up Exercises

With Strivo, you can get a personal trainer who suits your needs in the best way! Once you get the trainer you require, our professionals will discuss your fitness goals and provide a personalized workout routine that will speed up the process of reaching your goals. 

You can get a range of warm-up exercises and even change them from time to time so that your body remains in the best of shape. Strivo fitness experts can do that for you and more!

Conclusion

Improve flexibility and range of motion with warm-up exercises personalized to your fitness goals with Strivo’s personal trainers. With customized routines, you can prepare your nervous system for activity and get the best out of your workout. Download Strivo today and get started!