Advanced dynamic warm-ups are essential before undertaking any exercise routine — even activities as basic as walking or biking. These warm-up routines warm the body dynamically, improving blood flow, stretching muscles, and loosening joints, ultimately preparing your body for exercise while simultaneously reducing the risk of injury.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss inchworm warm-ups with rotation, a more advanced version of the basic inchworm exercise. No major fitness equipment is needed — just a small space and about 10 minutes of your time to feel great and ready to workout.
Inchworm Warm-Up with Rotation
To begin this warm-up routine, stand with feet flat on the ground at approximately shoulder-width apart. Bend forward and reach down towards the ground, keeping your legs straight for as long as possible. As you perform this action, you’ll feel a pleasant stretch in the back of your legs.
Next, walk your hands out to a plank position, ensuring that your hands are directly beneath your shoulders. These hand placements are crucial for stability during the rotation exercises.
Now, rotate your body to the right, raising your right arm straight up and following the movement with your eyes. Return to the plank position and rotate left, raising and pointing your left hand toward the ceiling and watching it the entire time. When rotating, you will feel a nice stretch in the chest. Afterward, return to the plank position.
Maintain your hand placement while walking your feet up to your hands, doing your best to keep your legs as straight as possible. Then walk your hands back out to the front, ending in a plank position with hands under your shoulders. Rotate to the right again, followed by another rotation to the left, keeping arms straight and observing them during these rotations.
Repeat this sequence once more, moving forward and ending with feet stepping up to the hands, ensuring that feet remain flat on the floor and legs stay as locked as possible.
Three Inchworms with Rotation Moving Backwards
To perform backward inchworms, take two long steps backward, first with your left leg, followed by your right leg, ending in a plank position. From this position, rotate and lift your left arm, followed by your right arm, as was done in the earlier steps.
From here, walk your hands back to your feet, piking your body at the waist. Then, take two lunges back with your legs, ending in the plank position. Raise and rotate both arms, then repeat this sequence once more.
Inchworms with rotation involve three forward and three backward sets, which should be sufficient as a dynamic warm-up. If you don’t have time for a full workout, try performing three repetitions of these three sets, making the inchworm with rotation routine your main workout.
As you finish the final set, slowly stand up, allowing your head to be the last part of your body to rise. It’s essential to avoid dizziness or lightheadedness, so be patient and stand up slowly.
Finally, take a deep breath, raising your arms overhead to help expand the lungs, and exhale while lowering the arms to relax.
Conclusion
Incorporating the inchworm warm-up with rotation into your fitness routine is an excellent way to improve your flexibility, muscle strength, and balance. A dynamic warm-up such as this prepares your body for more intense workouts or physically demanding activities while reducing the likelihood of strain or injury. Aim to include this pre-workout routine as often as possible, and experience the benefits of dynamic warm-up exercises for yourself.