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Exercises

Seniors warm up exercises: a gentle 10-minute routine

Published October 24, 2026

A good warm up for seniors takes about 10 minutes: 5 minutes of brisk walking or easy cycling, then ankle circles, arm circles and leg swings while holding a support, then 2 or 3 easy sets of squats to a comfortable depth, incline push-ups against a counter, calf raises and glute bridges. Move slowly, breathe steadily, and stop each set well before it feels hard.

  1. Brisk Walk Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves
  2. Stationary Bike Quads, Hamstrings
  3. Ankle Circles Calves
  4. Arm Circles Shoulders
  5. Leg Swings Hamstrings, Glutes
  6. Bodyweight Squat Quads
  7. Incline Push-Up Chest
  8. Standing Calf Raise Calves

Raise: walk or cycle

Five minutes of walking or easy pedaling gets the blood moving. You should be able to talk the whole time.

Raise, walking

Brisk Walk

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves

A brisk walk is the simplest warm-up there is, indoors or out.

How to do it

  1. Walk at a pace that is quicker than a stroll but still lets you hold a conversation.
  2. Swing your arms naturally and land heel to toe.
  3. Speed up a little for the last minute.

Cues

  • Quick steps
  • Arms swing
  • Tall posture

Common mistakes

  • Shuffling with short steps: take full, easy strides.

Swap for: Treadmill Walk, Stationary Bike, High Knees

Build a session with Brisk Walk

Raise, easy cycling

Stationary Bike

Quads, Hamstrings

A bike lets you warm up seated, which suits stiff knees or shaky balance.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so your knee keeps a slight bend when the pedal is lowest.
  2. Pedal at light resistance for the first minutes, then add a little each minute.
  3. Finish breathing faster than at rest but able to speak in sentences.

Cues

  • Smooth circles
  • Light resistance
  • Breathe through the nose early on

Common mistakes

  • Starting at a hard resistance: the first minutes should feel easy.

Swap for: Air Bike, Rowing Machine, Brisk Walk

Build a session with Stationary Bike

Joint mobility with support

Hold a chair back, counter or wall for these. The goal is smooth, easy movement in every direction.

Ankle mobility

Ankle Circles

Calves

Ankle circles get the feet ready for walking and balance.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one foot holding a support, or sit, and lift the other foot slightly.
  2. Trace slow, full circles with your toes in one direction, then the other.
  3. Switch feet.

Cues

  • Slow, full circles
  • Move only the ankle
  • Both directions

Common mistakes

  • Rushing small circles: make each one as wide as the ankle allows.

Swap for: Standing Calf Raise, Jump Rope, Skipping in Place

Build a session with Ankle Circles

Shoulder mobility, circles

Arm Circles

Shoulders

Small-to-large arm circles loosen the shoulders before reaching or lifting.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height.
  2. Draw small circles forward, growing them bigger over 10 seconds.
  3. Reverse direction and repeat.

Cues

  • Start small, finish big
  • Arms long
  • Ribs down

Common mistakes

  • Arching the lower back on the big circles: keep your ribs stacked over your hips.

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart, Plank IYTW, Dumbbell External Rotation

Build a session with Arm Circles

Hip mobility, front-to-back swings

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

Gentle swings while holding a support move the hips forward and back.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall or rack with one hand on it for balance.
  2. Swing your outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, letting the range grow with each swing.
  3. Keep your torso still, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Range grows each swing
  • Torso stays quiet
  • Standing knee soft

Common mistakes

  • Throwing the leg as high as possible from the first swing: start small and let it open up.

Swap for: Standing Side Leg Raise, Walking Lunge, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Leg Swings

Activation: easy strength moves

A few easy reps of the movements of daily life: sitting down and standing, pushing, rising on the toes and lifting the hips.

Lower-body mobility, squat pattern

Bodyweight Squat

Quads

Squatting to a comfortable depth, or to a chair seat, warms the legs for standing up and stairs.

How to do it

  1. Stand shoulder width apart with toes slightly out.
  2. Sit your hips down between your heels, arms reaching forward for balance.
  3. Stand up by pushing the floor away.

Cues

  • Knees track over toes
  • Whole foot on the floor
  • Smooth tempo

Common mistakes

  • Heels lifting at the bottom: widen the stance a little.

Swap for: Goblet Squat, Cossack Squat, Wall Sit

Build a session with Bodyweight Squat

Activation, pressing at an easier angle

Incline Push-Up

Chest

Pushing from a counter warms the chest and arms at a gentle angle.

How to do it

  1. Place your hands on a sturdy box, bench or counter, slightly wider than shoulders.
  2. Lower your chest to the edge with elbows angled back.
  3. Press away until arms are straight.

Cues

  • Body in one line
  • Chest to the edge
  • Elbows at about 45 degrees

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop first: brace before you lower.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Push-Up, Push-Up Plus

Build a session with Incline Push-Up

Activation, calves and ankles

Standing Calf Raise

Calves

Rising onto the toes while holding a support wakes up the calves and ankles you balance on.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the balls of your feet on a step, heels hanging off.
  2. Rise as high as you can onto your toes.
  3. Lower until the heels dip below the step, then repeat.

Cues

  • Full height
  • Slow lowering
  • Knees straight

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the reps: pause at the top and bottom.

Swap for: Single-Leg Calf Raise, Ankle Circles, Jump Rope

Build a session with Standing Calf Raise

Activation, glutes one side at a time

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Glutes

Bridging on the floor or bed wakes up the hips; start with both feet down and lift one when that is easy.

How to do it

  1. On your back, plant one foot flat and the other leg lifted; rest a light kettlebell on the working hip if you have one.
  2. Press the planted heel down and raise your hips until your body is straight from knee to shoulder.
  3. Lower slowly and finish the set before switching.

Cues

  • Push through the heel
  • Hips level
  • Pause at the top

Common mistakes

  • Letting one hip drop: lower the height until both stay level.

Swap for: Donkey Kick, Dumbbell Glute Bridge, Clamshell

Build a session with Single-Leg Glute Bridge

If a strength session follows

On strength days, finish with a couple of light sets of your first exercise before your working sets.

Main lift, squat with ramp-up sets

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Holding a light dumbbell at your chest makes a squat steadier, and two light sets before your working sets finish the warm-up.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your heels, elbows inside the knees.
  3. Stand by pushing through the whole foot.

Cues

  • Weight against the chest
  • Elbows inside knees
  • Full foot pressure

Common mistakes

  • Letting the chest fold forward: keep the weight tight to your body.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Dumbbell Front Squat, Front Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Before a walk or light activity

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts5× a week
  • Working sets40 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You are about to go for a longer walk, garden, or play with grandchildren.

Light activity needs only a short warm-up: an easy walk and joint circles. Everything stays very easy, about 5 reps in reserve.

Walk warm-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ankle CirclesPer direction, each foot. 1 × 8–10 5 0 s
Arm CirclesSeconds each direction. 1 × 20 5 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg. Hold a support. 1 × 8–10 5 0 s
Brisk WalkSeconds. 5 minutes, start slow. 5 × 60 5 0 s
How to run it
Do the circles first while holding a support, then start your walk slowly for the first 5 minutes.
How to progress
Once this feels easy, add a set of calf raises.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Before a strength session

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentExercise Bike, Standing Calf Raise, Dumbbells

You lift weights two or three times a week at home or in a gym.

Strength training works well at 2 to 3 reps in reserve for most older lifters. The warm-up covers each joint, then ramp-up sets of the goblet squat get you to your working weight.

Warm-up and goblet squat
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Stationary BikeSeconds. Easy. 5 × 60 5 0 s
Ankle CirclesPer direction, each foot. 1 × 8 5 0 s
Arm CirclesSeconds each direction. 1 × 20 5 0 s
Incline Push-UpCounter height. 1 × 8–10 4 30 s
Standing Calf RaiseHold a support. 1 × 10–12 4 30 s
Goblet Squat2 warm-up sets firstWorking sets after ramp-up. 3 × 8–12 3 2 min
How to run it
Bike 5 minutes, do the circles, one set each of the activation moves, then the goblet squat warm-up sets before working sets.
How to progress
When all working sets reach the top of the rep range with 2 or 3 reps to spare, use the next dumbbell up.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Stiff joints in the morning

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts7× a week
  • Working sets42 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Standing Calf Raise

You wake up stiff and want to move before the day starts.

Morning stiffness eases with gentle repeated movement. This version stays near the floor and the bed: bridges, circles and slow squats to a chair, all very easy.

Morning warm-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Single-Leg Glute BridgeBoth feet down to start. 1 × 6–8 5 30 s
Ankle CirclesPer direction, each foot. 1 × 8 5 0 s
Arm CirclesSeconds each direction. 1 × 20 5 0 s
Bodyweight SquatTo a chair seat. 2 × 6–8 5 30 s
Standing Calf RaiseHold a support. 1 × 8–10 5 30 s
How to run it
Do it slowly. Repeat the whole sequence twice if the first round still feels stiff.
How to progress
Over a few weeks, add the brisk walk at the end.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are good warm up exercises for seniors?

Brisk walking or cycling, ankle circles, arm circles, leg swings with a support, squats to a chair, counter push-ups, calf raises and glute bridges.

How long should a warm up be for seniors?

About 10 minutes, with 5 of them walking or cycling.

Can seniors warm up sitting down?

Yes. Circles and a stationary bike work seated; add standing moves when you feel ready.

Is walking a good warm up?

Yes. Five minutes of easy-to-brisk walking warms you up for almost anything.

What is the best exercise routine for seniors?

A mix of walking and two or three strength sessions a week. Our seniors workout guide below has full plans.