The Only Dynamic Warm-Up You Need for Any Workout

Doing your warm-up is a lot like peeling a banana: It's fundamental, and you need to do a little work before you get to the good stuff.

"I get it, we all like to skip the warm-up," says Holly Rilinger, personal trainer, Nike master trainer and creator of LIFTED, a mindful high-intensity interval training program. "Don't think of it as the warm-up, think of it as part of the workout."

Two of the biggest reasons it's so tempting to skip a warm-up: You don't know what moves to do, and you don't think you have enough time. But this video tackles both. Rilinger's routine takes all the thought out of your dynamic prep — and it's over in under 5 minutes.

Anytime you're looking for warm-up inspiration, start with this quick sequence. All you need is a few feet of space.

This routine takes less than 5 minutes, but it's perfect for getting your heart rate up and priming your muscles for the work to come. Do each of the following dynamic warm-up exercises for 20 to 30 seconds.

1. ​Knee Grab:​ Think about staying agile as you draw one knee to your chest and rise up on the opposite toe.
2. ​Ankle Grab:​ As you grab your ankle, raise the opposite arm toward the ceiling to deepen the stretch in your quad and hip flexor.
3. ​High Knees:​ "This is very much like those knee grabs, but I'm intensifying it a little bit, making it a little bit more dynamic and starting to get my heart rate up," Rilinger says.
4. ​Butt Kick:​ With your hands on your glutes, palms facing behind you, alternate tapping one heel up to your palms at a time.
5. ​Side Shuffle:​ Stay low as you move from side to side and keep your arms up and active.
6. ​Skip:​ "Take it back to your inner child" as you drive one arm and the opposite knee up, Rilinger says.