What are the steps to a good winter warm-up?

Warming up is a super-important step before practicing any sport, because being badly warmed up can lead to injury. This is especially true in winter, when our body temperature drops and our bodies are exposed to greater risks, especially when playing sports outdoors.

This preparation allows you to put your body in optimum condition before starting your sport or bodybuilding session, so you perform better and reduce the risk of injury.

What are the steps to a good winter warm-up?

Step 1: Increase warm-up time in winter

The movements you incorporate into your pre-sport physical preparation must be progressive, especially when your body is cold. The basis of the warm-up is to move your body from a state of rest to an active state. You'll be able to incorporate exercises that warm up your body without putting too much strain on it, by gradually raising the temperature of your muscles and joints.

Be patient, the ideal is to warm up for at least 10 minutes! Extending your warm-up time even further in winter will enable you to raise the temperature of your muscular structure without straining it, and improve the mobility of your joints, which is essential for amplitude and endurance exercises.

Step 2: Alternate between cardio and mobility without burning out!

The aim of a warm-up is also to wake up your cardiorespiratory system and your muscles by gradually increasing the intensity of your exercises. To do this, I recommend boosting your heart rate by doing dynamic functional strengthening with movements including light jumps such as burpees, knee raises, jumping jacks, squat jumps, etc.

During the recovery phases between each movement, I suggest you perform exercises to warm up your joints, such as dynamic mobilizations, wrist, shoulder, elbow and ankle rotations, and arm and leg flexions/extensions.

You can also opt for 5 to 10 minutes of cardio with a choice of slow running, brisk walking, rowing, stair climbing, elliptical or cycling. You can then continue with exercises to warm up your joints, using movements adapted to your planned effort.

Step 3: Adapt your warm-up according to several criteria

The length of your winter warm-up depends on a number of factors: your age, your physical condition, your sporting activity and your environment. The older you get, the more you'll need to warm up to avoid injury and improve your mobility during your session. The intensity you require of your body during exercise must be taken into account when warming up, so as to prepare it as well as possible. Basically, the more intensive your efforts, the longer you'll need to warm up.

Don't forget to take your environment into account, especially when exercising outdoors. It's important to be well-equipped, especially in winter. This will enable you to keep your body warm continuously, even when you're recovering or stopped. You can opt for a windbreaker, technical clothing and gloves to counter the cold and wind that could chill your muscles and increase the risk of injury.

How do you warm up at home before a jogging or weight training session?

The aim? To give you a good warm-up at home before facing the cold when practicing a sport outdoors, or to prepare your muscles before a session at the gym.

Here's a summary of the movements you need to apply for optimum physical preparation:

  • Warm up your joints with rotational movements of the wrists, shoulders and ankles, which you can do with circles, or with a stick (or broomstick) by holding it on both ends to warm up your shoulders.
  • Wake up your forearms and knees with flexions and extensions.
  • Get your heart rate up and warm up your muscles with jumping jacks, burpees, heel-and-butt or knee raises by performing 3 30-second circuits per exercise.

That's why it's important not to exclude warming-up from your sessions, especially when it's cold! What's more, it helps to improve your performance and prepare you mentally for physical exertion.

If you'd like to find out more about how to do a proper warm-up, whatever the season or sport, this is where we explain it all in detail.