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Movement and Exercise

5 Benefits of Warming Up Before Exercise

Warming up can make your exercise more effective, safer, and easier.

Sophia KellerMandy Armitage, MD
Written by Sophia Keller | Reviewed by Mandy Armitage, MD
Updated on June 3, 2025
Reviewed by Mandy Armitage, MD | June 3, 2025

Whether you are eager to get started on your workout — or just wanting to get it over with — it’s tempting to jump into exercise too quickly. In this video, learn the benefits of warming up before exercise, including preventing injury and making your workout more effective.

You can read more here about the benefits of warming up before exercise and easy warm-up moves to try.

References

American Heart Association. (2014). Warm up, cool down. 

Behm, D. G., et al. (2011). A review of the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching on performance. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 

Behm, D. G. (2018). Mechanisms underlying acute changes in range of motion. The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching. 

Haley, J. (n.d.). The importance of flexibility and mobility. PennState Kinesiology. 

Moreno-Pérez, V., et al. (2021). Post-activation performance enhancement of dynamic stretching and heavy load warm-up strategies in elite tennis players. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 

Okobi, O. E., et al. (2022). A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of exercise intervention in preventing sports injuries. Curēus. 

Park, H. K., et al. (2018). The effect of warm-ups with stretching on the isokinetic moments of collegiate men. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation. 

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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Sophia Keller
Written by:
Sophia Keller
Sophia Keller was an editorial intern on the GoodRx Health team. She has a bachelor’s degree in justice studies from Arizona State University.
Mandy Armitage, MD
Reviewed by:
Mandy Armitage, MD
Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She is co-executive director at Nonclinical Physicians Network and has served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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