Warm-up before training: why it matters, warm-up exercises for running, strength and ball sports, and cupping as preparation

A warm-up does four things in five to ten minutes: it raises muscle temperature so muscles and tendons become more elastic, it increases blood flow and oxygen supply, it wakes the nervous system so the muscles react faster and more coordinated, and it takes the joints through the movements the session will require. In studies on ball sports (FIFA 11+), a structured warm-up reduces injuries by about a third, and in strength and running training warmed-up muscles produce more force and tolerate more load. What works is not long static stretching sessions, which actually lower explosiveness, but a progression: light pulse raising, dynamic mobility and then activation of the muscles and movements you are about to load, at increasing intensity. Here is the principle, ready-made warm-up exercises per training type, common mistakes and how cupping is used as preparation.

The principle: three steps in five to ten minutes

1. Pulse and heat, 2–3 minutes. Light jogging, cycling, skipping rope, stairs or brisk walking until you feel a little warm and your breathing increases. The aim is temperature and blood flow, not fatigue.
2. Dynamic mobility, 2–3 minutes. Controlled swings and circles through the full range of motion: leg swings forward and sideways, hip circles, lunges with rotation, arm circles, cat-cow. No static stretching over 15 seconds here.
3. Activation and progression, 2–4 minutes. Exercises that wake the muscles the session is built on (glutes, trunk, shoulder stabilisers) and light versions of what you are about to do, at increasing intensity: strides before intervals, the empty bar before heavy squats, light kicks and side-steps before football.

The heavier, faster or more explosive the session, the longer and more specific the warm-up. A calm walk or a mobility session needs almost none; an interval session, heavy lifts or a match need ten to fifteen minutes. Cold, early mornings and a sedentary day increase the need.

Warm-up for running (8 minutes)

1. 3 minutes of light jogging or brisk walking.
2. Leg swings forward and back 10 per leg, sideways 10 per leg, with support against a wall.
3. Lunges with rotation 5 per side, hip circles on all fours 5 per direction.
4. Calf pump: calf raises 15, ankle circles 10 per foot.
5. Glute activation: bridges 10, side-lying leg lifts 10 per side or "monster walk" with a band.
6. Running drills 20 metres each: high knees, heel flicks, skipping, side-steps, and 3 strides of 60–80 metres before intervals or a race.

Runners' most common problems that a warm-up prevents: shin splints, Achilles tendinopathy, runner's knee and groin pain.

Warm-up for strength training (8–10 minutes)

1. 3 minutes of bike, rowing machine or skipping rope.
2. Cat-cow 10, world's greatest stretch 5 per side, deep squat with support 30 seconds.
3. Leg session: leg swings, hip circles, bridges 10, side plank 20 seconds per side, a band around the knees and 10 squats.
4. Upper body session: arm circles, wall angels 10, external rotation with a band 15 per arm, shoulder blade pulls 15, 10 push-ups on the knees.
5. Progression on the main lift: empty bar 10, 50 percent 8, 70 percent 5, 85 percent 2–3, then the working weight. Never jump straight to heavy.

Warm-up for ball and racket sports (10–15 minutes)

This one is built on the structure of FIFA 11+, which in studies has reduced injuries by around a third in football players, and works for football, floorball, handball, basketball, padel and tennis.

1. Running part, 4 minutes: jog 2 x 30 metres, jog with hip circles out and in, side-steps, jog with shoulder contact with a partner, running back and forth with changes of pace.
2. Strength and balance, 5 minutes: plank 2 x 30 seconds, side plank 20 seconds per side, Nordic hamstring 5 (or hamstring bridge), single-leg stance 30 seconds per leg, squats with heels on the floor 10, the Copenhagen exercise 5 per side.
3. Jumping and landing, 2 minutes: small two-leg jumps with a soft landing and knees over the feet 10, single-leg hops 5 per leg, side hops 10.
4. Sport-specific, 3 minutes: light passes and kicks, strokes with rising force, serves from calm to full, changes of direction.
5. Shoulders for racket and throwing: external rotation with a band 15 per arm and arm circles before the first serve; see the guide to impingement.

Common mistakes

• Static stretching as a warm-up. Holding a stretch over 30 seconds lowers force and explosiveness for up to an hour. Save it for after the session or the evening; see stretching and mobility.
• Too long and too hard. The warm-up should leave you warm and alert, not tired. Five to fifteen minutes is enough.
• Too general. Five minutes on the bike warms the legs but not the shoulders before bench press or serving. Add the specific part.
• Skipping it when short of time. Shorten the main session instead; it is the first heavy or fast minutes that injure cold muscles.
• Forgetting the cool-down. Five minutes of calm movement afterwards and a recovery routine make the next warm-up easier; see recovery after training.

Cupping as preparation before a session

Dynamic cupping increases blood flow in the skin and muscle and makes the tissue more pliable in a few minutes, which is exactly what a warm-up is meant to achieve. Many athletes use two to three minutes of cupping of the muscles about to be loaded as the first step of the warm-up, especially on cold mornings, on stiff areas from earlier sessions or where mobility usually limits (calves before running, hip flexors and thighs before squats, chest and shoulders before presses and serves). It does not replace the pulse raising and activation, but is placed before them.

1. Oil the area with massage oil. Use the dynamic cup on large muscles and the mini cup on calves, forearms and shoulders.
2. Moderate suction and quick, long strokes in the direction of the muscle, one minute per area; the aim is warmth and pink skin, not deep treatment. Deep, slow cupping relaxes the muscles and suits after the session.
3. Go straight on to pulse, dynamic mobility and activation as above.

Ready-made routines per sport are in the cupping programs, including for runners, crossfit and padel. Do not cup freshly injured tissue, swollen joints or wounds; see when to avoid cupping.

Frequently asked questions

How long should you warm up?

Five to fifteen minutes depending on the session: shorter before calm training, ten to fifteen before intervals, heavy lifts and matches. Longer in cold, early mornings and after a sedentary day. You should become warm and alert, not tired.

Should you stretch in the warm-up?

Dynamically, yes: leg swings, lunges, arm circles and short swings through the range of motion. Static stretching over 30 seconds lowers force and explosiveness and belongs after the session or in the evening.

What happens if you do not warm up?

Cold muscles and tendons are stiffer and tolerate less, the nervous system reacts more slowly and the joints are not prepared for end ranges; the risk of strains, tendon problems and sprains increases, and performance in the first minutes is worse. In ball sports a structured warm-up reduces injuries by about a third.

Does cupping work as a warm-up?

As a first step, yes: two to three minutes of quick, light cupping of the muscles about to be loaded increases blood flow and makes the tissue pliable, roughly like a targeted warm shower. Always follow with pulse raising, dynamic mobility and activation; cupping alone is not a warm-up.

Which warm-up exercises suit home training without equipment?

Two minutes of skipping without a rope or stair walking, cat-cow, world's greatest stretch, deep squat with support, leg swings, hip circles, arm circles, wall angels, bridges, side plank and push-ups on the knees. See also home workout without equipment.

Sources

• 1177 Vårdguiden (Swedish national health guide), search for "träning" and "idrottsskador" for general information on injury prevention.
• FIFA 11+ (FIFA Medical), the structured warm-up programme whose injury-preventing effect has been studied in randomised trials on football players.
• Curam's FAQ and cupping programs, developed with trained massage therapists.

Related guides

• Sauna, cold plunge and ice baths – recovery that works

Written by Curam. Last updated 17 October 2026. This is general self-care information and does not replace medical care. For sudden, severe or unusual symptoms, contact your doctor. Talk to your doctor before cupping if you are pregnant, take blood thinners or have a condition affecting skin, blood vessels or blood.