10 Key Stretch Exercises to Ensure Your Clients are Fully Warmed Up

Did you know that those who properly warm up their bodies before working out will reduce muscle soreness and decrease the likelihood that they will get injured? 

If you're a sports coach who wants to make sure that your clients know how to exercise safely and effectively, it is important that you know about the top warm-up stretches.

To help you out, we've created a guide that breaks down the top warm-up stretches. Keep reading and we will fill you in on everything that you need to know. 

1. Body Squats 

If you want to help your clients to stretch out their glutes and hip flexors, you should guide them through a set of body squats. This warm-up exercise is also great for stretching out the calves, abs, quadriceps, and hamstrings. 

Body squats will also help you to get your central nervous system ready for action. 

This is an especially important warm-up activity if you plan on doing any loaded squats when you and your clients are working out. 

To perform a body squat, start in a standing position. Your feet should be hip-width apart and your toes should be pointing forward. 

Then shift your hips backward while at the same time bending your knees. Make sure that you keep your weight on your heels. Keep your back straight while you lower your hips to the ground. 

Once you feel the stretch in your quadriceps, you know that you have lowered your body far enough. Pause for a moment before moving your body back to its starting position. 

2. Side Reach 

Start in a standing position. Your feet should be slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend your body to the right while slightly bending your right knee. 

While you are doing this, you should also raise your left arm into the air in a diagonal direction. Your left arm should be in line with the rest of your body. Stretch your left leg until it is straight. 

Repeat this exercise on the other side of your body. 

3. Hip Rotations

To start this exercise, you need to be standing. Your feet should be hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your head and bend your arms. Then bend your left knee while lifting your left leg into the air.

Circle it around your body and towards your chest before lowering it back to the floor. Repeat this movement with your other leg. 

4. Knee Lift 

You'll perform this exercise in a standing position and your feet should be wider than hip-width apart. Bend your arms at the elbow and put your hands behind your ears. 

Lift one leg up towards your chest. While you do this, bend your knee. Your goal should be to touch your rib cage with your knee. Perform the same movement with your other leg and repeat this exercise for thirty seconds to one minute. 

5. Lateral Lunge 

This is a great exercise if your clients are looking for fun warm-up exercises to perform. Start from a standing position and with your feet hip-width apart. Your hands should be at your sides. 

Make a large step to the right and then push your hips back while bending your right knee and descending with your body until your right knee is at a ninety-degree angle. 

Then push yourself back to a standing position while lifting your knee and moving it towards your chest. 

You can perform this exercise for thirty seconds to a minute on each side of your body.

6. Planks for the Upper Body

Planks are a great warmup exercise if you are looking for top stretching ideas that will help your clients to improve their balance. To hold a plank, you'll need to start in a pushup position.

Make sure to keep your hands and feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold this position for thirty seconds to one minute. 

7. Pushups for Strength 

It is a good idea to do a few pushups. Not only do they help to activate muscles in the upper body, but they will also get the blood flowing through your body. 

8. Warm Up the Triceps

To perform a triceps warmup, start in a standing position and extend your arms to your sides so that they are parallel to the ground.

While making sure that your arms are straight, rotate them in backward circles. After thirty seconds, change from backward circles to forwards circles. 

9. Jumping Jacks 

Jumping jacks are a great warm-up exercise if you want to prepare your clients for cardio workouts. It's good to do them for a minimum of thirty seconds and a maximum of two minutes. 

10. Plank Walkouts 

From a standing position lower your hands to the ground until your hands are on the floor.

Then gradually walk your arms forward until you are holding a plank. Hold it for a moment before walking your hands backward until you are in a standing position. 

Help Your Clients Warm Up Before Their Training Sessions

If you are looking for simple warm-up exercises for coaching your clients through, it is a good idea to choose activities that will engage the entire body. 

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