The best examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes

Real examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes

Let’s start where most athletes actually need help: what does a good warm-up look like from start to finish? Not theory, not vague tips — real examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes that you can copy and then tweak.

Below are several sport-specific warm-up flows. Each one:

• Starts with light movement to raise your heart rate
• Uses dynamic stretching instead of long static holds
• Adds a bit of activation and coordination work so your muscles and nervous system are awake before you go hard

You’ll see the same pattern repeat, which makes it easy to build your own routine later.

Example of a full-body dynamic stretching routine (10–12 minutes)

This is a great baseline warm-up for most field and court athletes, or anyone heading into a general strength session. It’s one of the best examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes who want something simple, repeatable, and effective.

Start with light movement for about 3 minutes: easy jog, jump rope, or brisk walk. Then move through this sequence:

Leg swing series
Stand next to a wall or post for balance. Swing one leg forward and back in a controlled motion, then side to side. You’re not trying to kick your face; think smooth and rhythmic. This opens the hips and hamstrings while waking up your stabilizers.

Walking knee hugs into calf raise
Take a step, pull one knee toward your chest while staying tall, then rise onto the ball of the standing foot. This gives a gentle stretch to the glutes and hips while priming the calves and ankles.

Walking quad pulls with reach
Grab your ankle behind you, bring your heel toward your glute, and reach the opposite arm overhead as you step forward. This targets the front of the thigh and encourages good posture instead of the classic slouch.

World’s Greatest Stretch (moving)
From a lunge position, place both hands on the ground, rotate your chest toward your front knee and reach that arm to the ceiling, then switch sides as you step forward. This dynamic stretch hits hips, hamstrings, hip flexors, and thoracic spine all in one smooth flow.

Inchworm walkouts
From standing, hinge at the hips, walk your hands out to a high plank, pause for a breath, then walk your feet toward your hands with small steps. This warms up shoulders, core, and hamstrings while reinforcing a solid plank position.

Lateral shuffles with hip drop
Shuffle a few steps sideways, then sit back into a lateral lunge at the end of the shuffle. Alternate directions. This preps your groin, hips, and lateral movement patterns.

This routine is a strong example of a pre-workout stretching flow that covers the whole body without wasting time. Most athletes can run through it in 8–10 minutes once they know the moves.

Examples of pre-workout stretching routines for runners and endurance athletes

Runners often either skip stretching entirely or stand around holding long hamstring stretches before a hard tempo. There’s a better way. These examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes who run focus on dynamic range of motion plus foot and hip prep.

Short run-day warm-up (6–8 minutes)

Perfect for everyday runs when you don’t want a big production.

Begin with an easy walk or jog for 2–3 minutes. Then move through:

Leg swings (front-to-back)
10–15 swings per leg. This gets your hip flexors and hamstrings ready for the repetitive motion of running.

Ankle circles and ankle rocks
Rotate each ankle in both directions, then rock gently from heel to toe. This is a small thing that pays off big for people prone to shin splints or calf tightness.

A-skips or marching A-drills
Drive one knee up while keeping your posture tall and your foot dorsiflexed (toes up), then alternate. You can turn this into a skipping pattern to add rhythm and coordination.

Butt kicks (dynamic, not flailing)
Jog forward while bringing your heels toward your glutes in a controlled way. Focus on quick, light ground contact.

Walking lunges with twist
Step into a lunge, then rotate your torso over the front leg. This opens the hip flexors and glutes while waking up your core.

This is a simple, realistic example of a pre-workout stretching routine you can do in a parking lot or at the trailhead.

Longer pre-race warm-up (10–15 minutes)

For races or speed workouts, you can extend the above with:

High knees
Short bursts of high knees over 15–20 yards, focusing on fast turnover.

Carioca (grapevine)
A lateral stepping pattern that adds hip rotation and coordination.

2–3 short strides
After your dynamic stretching, run 2–3 controlled accelerations over 60–80 yards, building up to near-race pace. This isn’t a stretch in the classic sense, but it completes the warm-up and prepares your nervous system.

These two running-focused examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes show how you can scale your warm-up based on the intensity of the session.

Examples of pre-workout stretching routines for strength and power athletes

Lifters, sprinters, and jumpers need a warm-up that respects the weight they’re about to move or the force they’re about to produce. Long, sleepy static holds right before a heavy lift are not your friend.

Here’s an example of a pre-workout stretching and activation routine you might use before squats or Olympic lifts.

Lower-body strength day warm-up (8–10 minutes)

Light cardio and joint circles
2–3 minutes on a bike, treadmill, or rower, then gentle circles for hips, knees, and ankles.

Dynamic hip flexor stretch with overhead reach
From a half-kneeling position, gently drive your hips forward while reaching both arms overhead. Instead of holding for 30 seconds, pulse in and out of the stretch, breathing steadily.

Deep bodyweight squat with prying
Sit into a deep squat, hold your hands together in front of your chest, and gently press your knees outward with your elbows as you shift your weight side to side. This opens the hips and ankles in the exact position you’re about to use under load.

Leg swings, then lateral lunges
Combine a few leg swings with smooth lateral lunges to prepare your adductors and groin.

Glute bridge or hip thrusts (bodyweight)
Lie on your back, feet flat, and drive your hips up. Pause briefly at the top. This is more activation than stretching, but it’s critical for protecting your lower back under a barbell.

Bodyweight squat jumps (low effort)
Finish with a few light squat jumps to remind your nervous system that power is the goal.

This is one of the best examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes who care about strength: dynamic, targeted, and short.

Upper-body lifting warm-up (6–8 minutes)

For pressing, pulling, or overhead work, try this flow:

Arm circles and shoulder rolls
Small to large circles forward and backward to lubricate the shoulder joint.

Band pull-aparts or dislocates
Using a light resistance band, pull the band apart at chest level, then progress to overhead band dislocates if your shoulders tolerate them.

Scapular push-ups
In a plank position, keep your elbows straight and let your chest sink slightly, then press the floor away. This wakes up the muscles that stabilize your shoulder blades.

Dynamic chest and lat stretch against a rack or wall
Place your forearm or hand on a rack, gently rotate your body away, then come back. Keep it moving instead of holding a long, static stretch.

Light sets of the main lift
Finish by ramping up with 2–3 light sets of your main exercise. Again, not technically stretching, but it’s part of a smart pre-workout routine.

These upper- and lower-body flows are real examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes who live in the weight room and want to feel ready without feeling drained.

Sport-specific examples: court and field athletes

Court and field sports — basketball, soccer, football, lacrosse — demand quick changes of direction, jumps, and sprints. That means your pre-workout stretching routine should blend mobility with agility.

Basketball or volleyball warm-up example (10–12 minutes)

After a few minutes of light jogging or jump rope:

Dynamic calf and Achilles stretch
Stand facing a wall, step one foot back, and rhythmically pulse your heel toward the floor. This mimics the loading your calves and Achilles will see during jumping.

Walking lunges with overhead reach
Step forward into a lunge, reach both arms overhead, then step through to the next rep. This opens hips and stretches the front of the body.

Lateral lunges and Cossack squats
Shift side to side into deep lateral positions to prep for defensive slides.

Arm swings and cross-body hugs
Swing arms forward and backward, then hug yourself across your chest, alternating which arm is on top. This warms up shoulders for rebounding and shooting.

Short defensive slides and low shuffles
Finish with low, controlled slides across the court, gradually picking up speed.

Soccer or football warm-up example (10–15 minutes)

After a light jog with the ball or without:

Leg swings in multiple planes
Forward-back and side-to-side, prepping hips for kicking and sprinting.

Dynamic hamstring sweep
Step one foot forward with the heel on the ground and toes up, hinge at the hips, sweep your hands toward your toes, then step through. This gives a brief, moving stretch to the hamstrings.

Walking hip openers and closers
Lift your knee up and open it out to the side as you step, then reverse the pattern coming back. This targets the groin and hip rotators.

High knees, butt kicks, and quick-feet drills
Short bursts over 10–20 yards to bring your intensity up.

Short accelerations and decelerations
Sprint 10–20 yards, then brake under control. This bridges the gap between stretching and real game movement.

These are practical, field-tested examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes in team sports that need both mobility and sharpness.

How to build your own pre-workout stretching routine

Once you’ve seen a few examples, the pattern gets easier to spot. Most of the best examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes follow a simple three-part structure:

1. Heat up
2–5 minutes of light movement to raise your heart rate and body temperature. This can be jogging, cycling, jump rope, or sport-specific movement.

2. Move through range
Dynamic stretches for the joints and muscles you’re about to use most. Think leg swings, lunges, hip openers, arm circles, and thoracic spine rotations. Keep moving; avoid long static holds right before max-effort work.

3. Wake up the system
Low-intensity versions of the movements you’re about to perform: light jumps before heavy squats, short accelerations before sprints, or light sets before heavy lifts.

You can use the real examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes above as templates. Pick 2–3 movements from each phase that match your sport and any areas that tend to feel tight or cranky.

What the research says about pre-workout stretching in 2024–2025

Current research still supports a few big ideas:

• Long static stretching right before high-intensity efforts can temporarily reduce power and strength in some athletes. That doesn’t mean static stretching is bad; it just fits better after training or in separate mobility sessions.
• Dynamic stretching and active warm-ups tend to improve performance in sprints, jumps, and strength tests compared to no warm-up at all.
• A good warm-up can also reduce injury risk by improving joint range of motion and muscle readiness.

You can explore more on this from:

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) overview on stretching and flexibility: https://www.nih.gov/
• Mayo Clinic’s guidance on safe stretching: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/stretching/art-20047931
• The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendations on warm-up and flexibility: https://www.acsm.org/

The bottom line: the modern trend in 2024–2025 is toward short, targeted, dynamic examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes, with longer static work saved for cool-downs or off-day sessions.

FAQs about pre-workout stretching routines for athletes

Q: Can you give a quick example of a 5-minute pre-workout stretching routine for busy athletes?
Yes. Try this: 2 minutes of easy jogging or jump rope, then 1 minute of leg swings and hip circles, 1 minute of walking lunges with a twist, and 1 minute of arm circles plus cross-body arm swings. It’s short, but it hits the major joints and gets blood flowing.

Q: Do I have to stretch before every workout?
You don’t have to, but some kind of warm-up is smart. For low-intensity days, a few minutes of light movement may be enough. For heavy lifting, sprinting, or games, using one of the examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes above will usually help you feel better and perform better.

Q: Are static stretches bad before training?
They’re not “bad,” but long static holds can make some athletes feel a bit sluggish before explosive work. If you like static stretching, keep the holds short before training, and save the longer stretches for after your workout or separate flexibility sessions.

Q: How many exercises should be in my pre-workout stretching routine?
Most people do well with 4–8 movements, depending on how much time they have and how intense the session will be. The best examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes are focused, not crammed with every stretch you’ve ever seen.

Q: Can these routines help prevent injuries?
Nothing can guarantee you’ll never get hurt, but dynamic warm-ups and pre-workout stretching can improve joint mobility, muscle temperature, and coordination, which are all linked with lower injury risk. Combining these routines with good training loads, sleep, and recovery is your best bet.

Use these examples of pre-workout stretching routines for athletes as starting points, then adjust based on how you feel. Your warm-up should leave you saying, “I’m ready,” not “I’m tired already.”