This page looks at a wide variety of martial arts warm-up exercises. In addition to stretching, martial artists should perform martial arts warm-up exercises in order to loosen their muscles and increase their heart rate. These exercises should take place before starting the regular martial arts training session. Below is a large list of warm-up exercises with videos and/or written instructions that you can use at your martial arts school or before your general athletic workouts.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Warming up may help prepare your body for aerobic activity. Warming up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system, increases blood flow to your muscles and raises your body temperature. Jumping into an aerobic workout without preparing your body could lead to such problems as muscle strain or injury.”
Before any strength and conditioning training, martial artists should stretch and warm-up. All stretches and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. If you have had an injury or are in pain, please see a doctor before starting any stretching or exercise program. For additional stretches and exercises, please visit the main Martial Arts Physical Fitness section. You should also visit our section on Dynamic Stretches.
Warm-Up Routines by Martial Arts Style
- Aikido Warm-Up Exercises
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Warm-Up Exercises
- Judo Warm-Up Exercises
- Karate Warm-Up Exercises
- Kendo Warm-Up Exercises
- Krav Maga Warm-Up Exercises
- Kung Fu Warm-Up Exercises
- Taekwondo Warm-Up Exercises
- Tai Chi Warm-Up Exercises
- Wing Chun Warm-Up Exercises
- Yoga for Martial Arts
List of Warm-Up Exercises – Individual exercises with written and/or video instructions. Mix & match to make your own warm-up exercise routine or to make an existing routine more interesting.
- Ankle Bounces
- Arm Circles or Shoulder Rotations
- Bear Crawls
- Bicycle Kicks
- Broad Jumps
- Burpees
- Butt Kicks
- Chain Breakers or Cross Body Arm Swings
- Foam Roller Exercises
- Flutter Kicks
- Forward Hops or Frog Hops
- High Knees
- Hip Circles
- Inchworms
- Jog In Place
- Jumping Jacks
- Jumping Rope
- Karaoke Drills or Grapevine Drills
- Knee Circles
- Lateral Jumps
- Leg Swings
- Lunge Jumps or Jumping Lunges
- Mountain Climbers
- Power Skips
- Pushup Variations
- Rotational Jumps
- Run Backwards
- Run Sideways
- Sprints
- Squat Jumps
- Squat Thrusts
- Stretch Kick
- Tuck Jumps
- Torso Twists or Trunk Twists, Oblique Twists, etc.
- V Jumps
- Vertical Jumps
- Walking Knee Hugs
- Walking Lunge
- Windmills
Related Pages
Warm-Up Exercise Questions
Is warm up necessary before workout?
Yes. Warm-ups are necessary before workouts because they help to loosen tighten muscles, get the body’s cardiovascular system ready for more vigorous activity later in the workout and help to reduce the chance of some potential injuries. Tight muscles during vigorous exercise can reduce flexibility & power and may lead to an increased risk of some types of muscle strains. Warm-up exercises and stretches should be done before every workout.
Martial Arts Warm-Up Exercises – Jumping Jacks
Warm-Up Exercises Image from Wikimedia Commons
References
- Mayo Clinic, Aerobic exercise: How to warm up and cool down, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00067