Training - Warm-up at the Start of a Session

In training, we use a static warm-up - a set of exercises familiar from many fitness and wellness systems. We use it as a light warm-up before the main part of training, but it works just as well as a standalone short session, like a morning routine.

Static Warm-up

The warm-up moves from the outside in: wrists, forearms, shoulders; legs from the toes upward; then neck, shoulders, torso, back.

Don’t include intense stretching or sharp, wide movements in the warm-up. Muscles and joints need to be properly warmed first - this stage should prepare the body for heavier load and stretching later.

Criteria for a sufficient warm-up: 1) warmth in the muscles and ligaments, and 2) free mobility in the joints.

Wrists and hands

Clasp your hands together - circular rotation, figure-eight rotation, bending side to side.

Extend your arms in front of you - clench and release your fists. Same thing with palms down, sideways, up. It’s important to clench the fist fully, to full tension, and to open the palm fully, straightening the fingers. Two more variations: first focus on the clench (as if grabbing something), then on the release (as if tossing something away).

Arms in front of you - reach your fingers toward the inside of the forearm, then bend the wrist outward, aiming for a right angle between the back of the hand and the forearm. Do the same bending the hand toward the little finger, then toward the thumb. Maximum tension, but don’t overdo it - stop before it hurts.

Finish by shaking out your hands and relaxing.

Elbow joints

Arms straight out to the sides. Without moving your shoulders, rotate your forearms at the elbows - one direction, the other, then opposite directions on each side. Keep the shoulders still; the elbows are the only pivot point.

Same thing with the elbows brought forward, rotating in front of you.

Shoulder joints

Let one straight arm hang loosely along your body and rotate it as fast as possible in the plane in front of you. Your hand will feel heavy and turn red - blood rushing in, along with a bit of capillary massage as a bonus. Rotate clockwise, then counterclockwise. Same with the other arm.

Head straight, pull your shoulders forward toward each other. Same thing backward, squeezing the shoulder blades together, feeling a pleasant tension. Then pull the shoulders up toward the ears, and down as far as possible. Alternate sides - one shoulder up, the other down.

Head straight, arms along your body. Turn them palms-out, as if screwing them into the floor - this engages the wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Take it to the limit, add a couple of extra tension-and-release pulses, then unwind and repeat in the other direction.

Circular shoulder rotations - one direction, the other, then alternating sides. These also help develop coordination.

Hands clasped in front of your chest, torso and head still - only the shoulders move. Turn to the right, pushing the right arm with the left, torso staying still. Same to the left.

Feet

Warm up the toes - curl, extend, hop a bit.

Standing, lift one leg, bending at the knee with the thigh parallel to the floor. Rotate the foot clockwise and counterclockwise - the toes trace a circle in a vertical plane.

Flex the foot upward as far as it goes, feel the tension, then downward, then side to side. Keep the shin still - the movement happens only at the ankle, while you hold your balance.

Relax the foot, shake it out. Repeat with the other leg.

Knee joints

Keeping the position from the previous exercise, rotate the shin instead of the foot. The knee stays still while the shin traces a cone with its tip at the knee - keep watching your stillness and balance.

Feet a bit wider than shoulder-width, parallel, palms on the knees - circular knee movements inward and outward. Then the same with the legs together.

Hip joints

Same position as the foot exercise. Rotate the leg so the knee traces a circle in a vertical plane, keeping your balance.

Same position - move the leg out to the side, left and right, without changing its height.

Standing on one leg, swing the other without letting it touch the ground. Touching the foot with the opposite hand helps with control and balance.

Note. What follows are exercises for the spine. If any of them feel difficult, cause pain, or you have back issues - skip them and consult a doctor first. We take no responsibility for improper use of these exercises.

Neck

Tilt your head back, reaching your chin upward to a point of tension.

Tilt your head forward, reaching down. Same thing, to tension, to the left and right. Then turn side to side. Then rotate slowly in a circle.

Don’t overdo it - and don’t push tension into pain.

Upper spine (thoracic)

Open up your chest, as if taking in a big breath, arms drawn slightly back - chest out. Now exhale it all, bringing your arms together in front of you - back rounded.

Arms along your body. This move resembles the shoulder rotation, but goes deeper, engaging the spine - the chest opens and closes as in the previous exercise. Then raise one shoulder while lowering the other, and switch.

Rotate your torso while keeping the lower back fixed - this works the thoracic spine specifically.

Lower spine

Same exercises, focused now on the lower thoracic area and lower back.

Deeper rotations, adding side bends of the torso.

Forward bends - look ahead, not down at your feet. Backward bends - all the way to a “bridge” for those who can. Hip circles.

Dynamic Warm-up

A more active warm-up that follows the static one. Its goal is to work the muscles and give the body dynamic movement load. Three variants:

• stationary - same positions as the static warm-up, but more active and forceful;
• the track - drills done from one line to another;
• running - cross-country running in various modes.

More detailed instruction and demonstration happens live, in training.