When it comes to a pre-workout ritual, everyone has an opinion. Many feel they need to stretch beforehand because the body feels “tight.” Others feel ready to just hop right in but plan to “start slowly.” In reality, what most bodies need isn’t more stretching or simply easing in; it’s proper preparation.
A dynamic warm-up prepares your joints, muscles, soft tissues, nervous system, and cardiovascular system for the movements ahead. Instead of holding one position, it takes your body through controlled, active movements that gradually increase mobility, circulation, coordination, and readiness.
Why Joints, Muscles, Fascia, and the Nervous System Need to “Wake Up” First
If you’ve ever watched a professional athlete or team prepare before a game or match, there’s often one thing in common: a dynamic warm-up. Dynamic warm-ups have become increasingly popular because they can prepare the musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, and psychological systems for activity while supporting movement performance.
Following a dynamic warm-up, research suggests that several systems may experience short-term benefits:
- Joints: Increased active range of motion and proprioceptive awareness.
- Muscles: Increased muscle temperature, mobility, and readiness for force production.
- Fascia and soft tissues: Increased tissue temperature and pliability for smoother movement.
- Nervous system: Improved nerve conduction, motor-unit recruitment, muscle activation, and movement coordination.
- Cardiovascular system: Increased body temperature, circulation, and oxygen delivery in preparation for activity.
- Psychological system: Increased readiness to perform and a potentially lower perception of effort.
A review of dynamic stretching research found that it can improve range of motion and may support subsequent muscular performance when used appropriately. Another systematic review comparing stretching methods examined their effects on performance, range of motion, and injury risk. The message is clear: a well-designed dynamic warm-up matters. But what exactly does one include?
What Is a Dynamic Warm-Up?
A dynamic warm-up includes sport-specific movements that provide a multifaceted approach to exercise preparation. For athletic performance, it should include active range of motion, agility, plyometrics, functional strengthening, whole-body muscle activation, and challenges to core stability and balance.
One of the best-known and most extensively studied dynamic warm-up programs is the FIFA 11+, which was developed in 2006 to help address soccer injuries. It’s divided into three main parts:
- Running drills that elevate the heart rate and prepare the cardiovascular system, including jogging, direction changes, and high knees
- Strength, plyometric, and balance exercises
- Running drills that emphasize acceleration and deceleration, including sprints, quick direction changes, and speed variations
Many other sports have adopted similar approaches, with warm-up drills designed to mimic the movements athletes perform during competition. The same principle appears in the LYT Method, which uses purposeful movement sequences to prepare the body for the practice ahead. You can also explore the LYT class library to find movement options suited to your level and goals.
Why a Dynamic Warm-Up Improves Performance
The evidence is compelling. Research supports structured neuromuscular warm-up programs as one component of injury-risk reduction across several sports and activities. Athletes who prepare before they perform may experience fewer injuries than those who complete no structured warm-up, although results depend on the program, activity, and consistency of use.
The benefits can extend beyond injury-risk reduction. Several studies have reported short-term athletic improvements following a dynamic warm-up, including changes in muscle force, power, explosiveness, sprint performance, vertical-jump height, and sport-specific movements.
By preparing the body before activity, we give ourselves a better opportunity to move efficiently, perform with confidence, and reduce avoidable strains and sprains. LYT’s certified instructors apply their knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and neurology to help members prepare for purposeful movement.
Don’t Save Your Best Movement for the Game
The bottom line is that we “perform” all day long, not just on the athletic field or in the game. Every time we carry in the groceries, pick up our children or grandchildren, get up and down from the floor, lift luggage into the overhead bin, or recover from a stumble, we need strength, balance, coordination, and movement awareness. Life moves in many directions, and so should we.
Every time we get on our LYT mat and do The Reset®, we’re preparing the body for what’s to come. Every time we follow the LYT Blueprint, we’re incorporating essential elements of dynamic preparation, not just for our practice, but for life.
The Reset® is the first phase of the LYT Blueprint. It helps organize the body, activate key muscles, connect movement with the nervous system, and create a stronger foundation for the rest of the practice.
So, if you’re practicing LYT, know that you’re priming your body to perform at its best every time you get on your mat.
Prepare Your Body to Move with LYT
If you’d like to experience this approach for yourself, check out my “Primed & Ready” class on LYT Daily. Designed to prepare your whole body for the day ahead, it is available in beginner and intermediate versions so you can choose the level that feels right for you.
Explore LYT classes and discover how intentional preparation can help you move with greater strength, confidence, and energy, both on and off the mat.
