Full-body warm-up at home, no jumping
A short, calm home routine: good for a beginner who wants to switch the whole body on without equipment and without jumping.
Level: Beginner, easy pace
What you need
Kit and conditions
exercise mat
How to use it
About this exercise
This is one exercise broken into consecutive steps rather than a mixed circuit. Watch the technique, follow the cues and build the movement up gradually. If a phase feels too hard, start with a smaller range and a calmer rhythm — understanding the mechanics matters more than getting it perfect first time.
Steps
Technique, frame by frame
Marching in place
Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, shoulders relaxed, abs lightly engaged. March calmly on the spot, one foot then the other, with no hop and no sharp movements. Let your arms swing forward and down in time with your steps. Keep your torso upright throughout.
Cue
To make it easier, march slower and keep your arms below chest height.
Chair squat
Set your feet slightly wider than your hips with your toes turned out. Send your hips back as if you were about to sit on a chair and lower only as far as feels comfortable. Keep your back flat, your knees tracking over your toes and your heels down, then stand back up smoothly.
Cue
Squat to an imaginary chair or to a sturdy armchair, whichever feels safer.
Standing hip hinge with reach
Stand steady with your feet hip-width apart and your knees soft. Hinge forward from the hips with a flat back, reaching your hands out in front of you. Come back up by driving through your glutes and hamstrings, without jerking and without rounding your back.
Cue
If reaching forward is awkward, shorten the range and keep your hands closer to your body.
Knee plank
Lower onto the mat, set your forearms on the floor and put your knees down. Elbows under your shoulders, neck long, eyes on the floor. Draw your abs in and hold your torso level, without letting your lower back dip or your hips ride up. Breathe calmly and evenly.
Cue
If it is a struggle, take more weight onto your knees and shorten the hold.
Standing hip flexor stretch
Stand tall, step one foot back and shift your weight forward until you feel a comfortable stretch at the front of the back leg. Rest your hands on your hip or raise them overhead, whichever suits you. Keep your chest open, shoulders down and breathing calm, then switch sides gently.
Cue
Never stretch into discomfort: this should stay soft and easy.
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