Pre-Football Warm-Up Routine

Wakes up the hip joint through its primary running plane and tells the hamstrings and hip flexors they're about to work.

Five minutes before a run is worth a dozen static stretches afterwards.

The swing should come from the hip, not from rocking the whole body. Torso stays quiet.

Don't chase height — momentum opens the hip more than effort does. If you're grunting, you're forcing it.

The standing leg works too. Press the foot into the floor and stay tall through the crown of the head.

• Easiershorten the range and reduce speed. Keep the swinging knee slightly bent throughout.
• Harderlet go of the support and challenge balance, or add a small arm swing in opposition to the leg.

Opens the inside and outside of the hip — the planes that runners almost never train but use constantly on uneven ground.

Good prep before trail runs, lateral sports, or any session involving change of direction.

The hips should stay square to the wall — if your pelvis is rotating with the swing, you've lost the joint and started using the whole spine.

Keep it loose. This isn't a strength exercise. The leg should feel heavy and the hip should feel free.

The adductors on the way across, the abductors on the way out. Both wake up together.

• Easiernarrow the swing and slow the tempo. Let the swinging foot brush the floor each pass.
• Harderswing higher and add a small heel kick at the top of the cross-over for more rotational range.

Loads the adductors and outer hip in a frontal plane — directions runners and cyclists almost never train.

Good prep for any sport with side-to-side demands, and a quiet protector against groin strains.

Hips go back, not down. This is a hinge — chest stays tall and weight stays in the heel of the bent leg.

The straight leg should feel a pull through the inner thigh. If it doesn't, sit deeper into the bent leg.

The bent knee tracks over the middle of the foot. If it caves inward, drop the depth until you can control it.

• Easierreduce depth and hold a doorframe or wall for support.
• Harderhold a light weight at the chest, or pause for 2 seconds at the bottom of each rep.

Loads the legs through a long range and demands balance — the closest warm-up movement to actual running mechanics.

A proper warm-up before strength work, hill repeats, or hard intervals.

The front knee tracks over the middle of the foot — not collapsing inward, not drifting past the toes.

The back leg is doing more than you think. Squeeze the back glute as you lower and you'll feel the hip flexor open.

Chest stays tall. If you're pitching forward, your step is too short.

• Easiershorten the step and don't lower the back knee all the way. Hold a wall for balance if needed.
• Harderpause at the bottom of each lunge for 2 seconds, or add a torso rotation over the front leg.

The classic track warm-up drill — grooves running posture, knee drive and elastic foot contact in one move.

Worth ten minutes of any pre-run routine before a hard session.

Tall through the chest, light on the feet. The skip should feel bouncy, not laboured.

The knee drives up sharply and the foot dorsiflexes (toes pulled up) — this is the running posture you actually want under load.

Opposite arm and leg. If your same-side arm and leg are moving together, slow down and re-set.

• Easiermarch forward with high knees instead of skipping. Build the coordination first.
• Harderskip higher and faster, or add a clear pause at the top of each knee drive.

Wakes up the rotational planes of the hip — the bits that almost never get used in straight-line training but matter for change of direction.

Useful before football, tennis, trail running, or any session with lateral demands.

The work is in the hips, not the feet. Let the pelvis rotate freely — the upper body should stay relatively quiet.

Stay on the balls of the feet and keep the knees soft. Heavy heel contact slows everything down.

Start slow. Speed comes once the cross-over pattern is automatic.

• Easierslow it right down and step deliberately. Skip the cross-behind and just do the cross-in-front.
• Harderincrease tempo and add a more aggressive hip rotation. Bring the knees higher on the cross.

Works the glute medius dynamically — closer to how it actually works in walking and running than clamshells alone.

A staple of a runner's warm-up or pre-strength activation routine.

The burn lives in the side of the hips — the glute medius working continuously to push against the band.

Keep the chest tall and the knees tracking over the toes. Don't let them collapse inward against the band.

The trailing foot should never come closer than hip-width to the leading foot. Lose the band tension and the exercise loses its point.

• Easieruse a lighter band or place it above the knees rather than the ankles. Reduce step count.
• Harderuse a heavier band, place it at the ankles, or stay lower in the squat throughout.

Trains the ankle stabilisers and glute medius simultaneously, both useful for running, hiking and uneven ground.

A minute a side is a simple way to build steadier lower-leg control.

The standing foot should be working — toes spreading, arch lifting, ankle making constant small adjustments.

Keep the chest tall and the hips level. If one hip drops, the glute medius isn't doing its job.

Looking at a fixed point helps — until you progress to eyes closed, at which point things get interesting.

• Easierhold a wall or chair lightly. Stand on a stable surface.
• Harderclose the eyes, stand on a foam pad, or pass an object hand to hand while balancing.

The foundational glute exercise — wakes up muscle that desk-sitting puts to sleep.

A good first piece of any warm-up, or the daily minimum for anyone who sits more than they'd like.

The work should be in the glutes — not the hamstrings, not the lower back. If the hamstrings cramp, walk the feet slightly further from the body.

Don't over-arch at the top. Stop when the hips are in line with knees and shoulders — hyperextending puts the load in the lumbar spine.

Feet stay flat and knees track over the toes. If the knees cave inward, slow down and re-set the position.

• Easierreduce range and lift only to a quarter of full height. Place a pillow under the hips.
• Harderpause for 3 seconds at the top, or progress to Single-Leg Glute Bridge.