Warm-ups Articles

Warm-ups can be boring and are often overlooked because we can hardly wait to teach that brand-new combination or hot new move! But with a little time and effort, a really good warm-up can create amazing energy and set the tone for the rest of class. So how do you take something that seems so mundane and add a little soul and spice to it?

Warm-ups can be boring and are often overlooked because we can hardly wait to teach that brand-new combination or hot new move! But with a little time and effort, a really good warm-up can create amazing energy and set the tone for the rest of class. So how do you take something that seems so mundane and add a little soul and spice to it? Why not add some hip-shaking, finger-snapping, shoulder-shimmying movement to your next warm-up and get your students fired up from the very first beat?

According to the National Centers for Sports Safety, 3.5 million children ages 14 and under receive medical treatment for sports-related injuries each year. Of those injuries, nearly half are overuse injuries due to incomplete bone growth or improper training and conditioning. A recent study, first published online in the British Medical Journal (2008;doi:10.11 36/bmj.a2469), states that those injuries could be significantly reduced with a comprehensive warm-up program.

By adding a new piece of equipment like the BOSU Balance Trainer to your warm-up, you can turn an old warm-up into a fresh challenge for participants. You also expose students to equipment they might not have used before, which helps promote other classes on your schedule that utilize the same tool.

If you’re like a lot of instructors, you tend to use the same warm-up over and over, regardless of the class. By adding a new piece of equipment like the BOSU Balance Trainer, you can turn an old warm-up into a fresh challenge for participants. You also expose students to equipment they might not have used before, which helps promote other classes on the schedule that utilize the same tool. In programs ranging from yoga and Pilates to strength and cardio, there are endless ways to use this fun equipment.

When approaching the warm-up for a kickboxing class, many instructors think of it only as a way to physically prepare the body. But what about warming up the mind? You can also get your students mentally prepared and in the moment. This helps them benefit maximally from the workout and is an essential ingredient in the recipe for kickboxing success. By taking th...

The average American spends at least an hour a day in his or her car -- and probably doesn't think of it as a place for physical activity. But those long commutes, maddening traffic jams and endless carpools for the kids can provide a surprising opportunity to tone those muscles and, maybe, relieve a little stress. Besides, drivers (and passengers) focused on tightening the muscles while wa...

I’m always looking for ideas to inspire my classes, and I’m usually pretty brave about what I’ll try. I search for new music, novel ways to use the studio space and unique cuing methods. I also look for interesting and different ways to get students absorbed in their 1-hour class experience. An approach I call “The Coffee Klatch” works wonders in cultivating ...

When I started in group fitness almost 20 years ago, I was taught that the warm-up offered many benefits and was a mandatory segment of a properly designed class. Even so, I took warm-ups for granted and saw them as an obstacle I needed to overcome in order to get to the “good stuff.” It took me years to figure out that a fun, effective warm-up could set the tone for the entir...

Water warm-ups are similar to land warm-ups in that the purpose is to raise the body’s temperature and to practice movements before working out. This is where the similarities end. Water warm-ups require additional consideration owing to the element’s viscosity, temperature and buoyancy. This warm-up is divided into two parts: buoyancy and cardio. The sections each la...