A 5-Minute Warm-Up Before Any Home Workout

A good warm-up before a workout takes about five minutes: one or two minutes of light cardio to raise your heart rate, followed by dynamic movements that take your joints through the ranges you're about to use, and finally a few easy reps of the main exercises. You should finish slightly warm and breathing a little faster, but not tired.

Below is a minute-by-minute routine that works before any home workout, plus how to tweak it for leg days, upper-body days and high-intensity sessions.

Why warming up is worth five minutes

Starting a workout "cold" — straight into jump squats or fast push-ups — is when people tend to feel stiff, clumsy or tweak something. A short warm-up:

Gradually raises your heart rate and breathing instead of jolting them
Increases blood flow and temperature in the muscles you're about to use
Takes your hips, shoulders, knees and ankles through their range of motion
Lets you rehearse the movement patterns at low effort, so the first real set is better
Gives you a moment to check in: if something hurts during the warm-up, you know before loading it

Research on warm-ups and injury risk is mixed, but warming up is widely recommended by health and sports organisations, and most people simply move better and feel more comfortable after one. Five minutes is a small price.

The 5-minute warm-up routine

No equipment needed. Do each move for the time listed, moving smoothly without rushing or bouncing.

Minute 1: March or light jog on the spot

Start with a brisk march, lifting your knees to about hip height and swinging your arms. After 30 seconds, switch to a gentle jog on the spot or step-jacks (step one foot out to the side while raising your arms, then alternate). Keep it easy — this is about getting warm, not out of breath.

Minute 2: Arm circles and shoulder rolls

15 seconds of small forward arm circles, growing gradually larger
15 seconds of backward arm circles
15 seconds of shoulder rolls, backward
15 seconds of "hugging" yourself and then opening the arms wide, to open up the chest

Minute 3: Hips and spine

20 seconds of hip circles, hands on hips, both directions
20 seconds of standing torso rotations — feet planted, turn gently left and right, letting the arms swing
20 seconds of cat-cow on hands and knees: round your back up, then let it sag gently while lifting your chest

Minute 4: Legs

20 seconds of leg swings forward and back, holding a wall (about 10 per leg — switch halfway)
20 seconds of side-to-side leg swings
20 seconds of slow bodyweight squats, pausing briefly at the bottom

Minute 5: Rehearse the workout

4–6 reverse lunges per leg, slow and controlled
5 incline push-ups against a wall or counter
2–3 inchworms: from standing, bend over, walk your hands out to a plank, then walk them back and stand up

That's it. Have a sip of water and start your session.

Dynamic vs static stretching before a workout

Static stretching — holding a stretch for 30 seconds or more — feels good, but it's better suited to after training. Long static holds right before explosive or strength exercises may temporarily reduce performance for some people, and they don't raise your body temperature.

Dynamic movements like leg swings, lunges and arm circles prepare you better because they move you through the ranges you'll actually use. Keep long holds for your cool-down stretches after the workout. If a particular muscle feels tight, a short hold of 10–15 seconds as part of your warm-up is fine.

How to adapt the warm-up

Before a leg or glute workout

Spend extra time on minute 4 and 5: add 10 glute bridges, a few lateral lunges and some ankle circles. If lunges are a big part of the session, our lunges guide is worth reading so your warm-up reps are already in good form.

Before an upper-body workout

Double the shoulder work in minute 2, add 10 slow wall push-ups and some "wall angels" (stand with your back against a wall and slide your arms up and down, keeping them in contact with the wall as far as is comfortable).

Before HIIT or jumping

Go a little longer — 7–8 minutes — and finish with 2–3 short bursts at about 70% effort, such as 10 seconds of fast feet or a few gentle squat jumps. Jumping straight into all-out intervals is when hamstrings and calves complain. If you're new to it, start with HIIT for beginners.

Quiet or low-impact version

Swap the jog for a brisk march and skip the step-jacks. Everything else is already quiet enough for an apartment — see also the low-impact home workout.

Early in the morning

Joints often feel stiffer in the morning. Spend a bit longer on the gentle movements in minutes 2–4 and start the march more slowly.

Common warm-up mistakes

Skipping it on short workouts. On a 15-minute session, cut a round of the main workout instead.
Making it a workout. If you're sweating heavily and tired after the warm-up, it was too hard.
Only stretching. Holding toe touches doesn't raise your heart rate or rehearse the movements.
Bouncing. Ballistic, jerky stretching into end ranges isn't the same as controlled dynamic movement.
Rushing the joints that bother you. If your knees or shoulders are sensitive, give them more gentle reps, not fewer.

Who should be careful

If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, a gradual warm-up is especially important; follow your doctor's advice on intensity. If any warm-up movement causes sharp or joint pain, skip it and choose a smaller range of motion — and get persistent pain checked. A warm-up won't prevent muscle soreness after a workout entirely, but it should never itself hurt.

Many apps include a warm-up automatically; in FIThim each exercise comes with photos and a short animated demo, which helps when you're still learning the moves.

FAQ

How long should a warm-up be?

For most home workouts, 5 minutes is enough. Go a little longer — 7–10 minutes — before intense intervals, jumping, or when it's cold or early in the morning.

Is walking a good warm-up?

Brisk walking is a good start because it raises your heart rate gently, but add a minute or two of dynamic movements for the joints you'll train.

Should I stretch before or after a workout?

Do dynamic movements before, and longer static stretches after. That's the approach most coaches recommend for general fitness training.

Do I need to warm up for a low-intensity workout?

A shorter warm-up is fine, but don't skip it entirely. Even two or three minutes of marching and joint circles makes the first exercises feel better.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant, talk to a doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition plan.