Key Warm Up Movements For People Over 40

I feel stiff.  I ache all the time.  These are usually the complaints we get from new members.  If you’re a person in their 40s who hasn’t worked in a while, we know you’re gonna be stiff.  If you have been working out for a long time, more than likely, you’re stiff.  On most occasions, when I ask what their warm up looks like, they give me a blank stare or they say the treadmill or elliptical for 5-10 minutes.

At First Capital Gym, we put a lot of focus in the warm up.  The warm up sets the table for the rest of the session.  We break it into sections but in the first part, we address flexibility and mobility.  If you’re a person in their 40s and you sit at a desk all day, or constantly on your feet, you’re going to have areas that need addressed.  After 15 years working with adults, we see the ankles, hips, and t-spines being the most restricted areas.  

Here are a few examples of exercises that we’ll do in the beginning of the warm up.  There are more variations that we’ll use but these are the common ones.

Foam Rolling

We do this before every session.  This can be done with a foam roller, stick, LAX ball, or whatever tool you have.  We typically will do each area for about 30 seconds.

Flexibility: After the foam rolling, we’ll do some static stretches to the key areas we hit above.  We typically will hold each stretch for about 30 seconds.

Mobility Circuit: Here were hitting the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine. 

If you’re looking at starting an exercise program or just need to change things up, our 30-Day Personal Training Experience might be for you.  Fill out the form below and we’ll get to you ASAP to see if you’re a good fit!