Trainer shares 5-minute warmup

TODAY.com published Brianna Steinhilber’s five-minute pre-walk warmup on April 28, with six dynamic exercises she says she never skips before walking. (today.com) Steinhilber, a certified personal trainer and TODAY.com health editor, said walking is often treated as too easy to require prep even though it is still a full-body workout. (today.com) Her routine includes gate openers, ankle controlled articular rotations, hamstring sweeps, reverse lunges, walking marches and good mornings. (today.com) The sequence is built around hips, knees and ankles, the joints Steinhilber said take the load during a walk. She said gate openers loosen tight hips, while ankle rotations improve mobility and help support stability. (today.com) Hamstring sweeps target the muscles along the back of the legs, which Steinhilber said often tighten after long periods of sitting. Reverse lunges activate the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps used to push the body forward. (today.com) The broader training idea is to warm up with movement, not long holds. In a 2022 TODAY.com walking guide, Nike master trainer Joe Holder said dynamic stretching works joints and muscles through larger ranges of motion before a walk. (today.com) Holder said dynamic stretching can help “wake up” the body and mind before exercise, while static stretching is better suited to after a walk or as a standalone flexibility session. (today.com) That leaves Steinhilber’s routine as a practical version of the same advice: five minutes, six moves, and a warmup aimed at getting walkers moving before the first step. (today.com)