Why arrive warm
The opening sequence of most classes is doing two jobs at once: warming you up and teaching the theme. If you arrive already warm, the first ten minutes stop being preparation and start being practice.
Five minutes is enough. The goal is warm and organised, not tired.
The five-minute block
Lightest tension, standing, no mat needed.
Minute 1, general movement. Easy marching, arm swings, shoulder rolls. Get temperature up before you ask for range.
Minute 2, overhead. 10 slow pass-overs, then a 20-second overhead hold.
Minute 3, rotation. 10 standing rotations per side, turning from the ribs.
Minute 4, side body. 8 overhead side bends per side, reaching long.
Minute 5, hips and balance. 6 hip circles per leg, then a 20-second single-leg balance hold per side.
That covers overhead, rotation, side body, hips and balance, which is most of what a general class will ask for in the first half hour.
Adjusting by class style
Vinyasa or power: as written. The overhead and rotation blocks matter most.
Hatha or slower styles: shorten to three minutes. You have time to warm up in class.
Yin: skip it. The practice is deliberately cool and passive.
Inversion-heavy: add a second overhead hold and 8 scapular set-and-release reps.
The most common mistake
Turning the warm-up into a workout. If you arrive at class already fatigued in the shoulders, you have overdone it. Everything above is deliberately short and light.
Doing it without a bar
The sequence works unloaded too. You lose the resistance and the feedback, but the joints still get warm and the pattern rehearsal still happens. Do the unloaded version rather than skipping it.
A note on limits
This is general movement preparation, not medical advice. If a position produces pain rather than effort, leave it out and speak with a qualified professional.
Common questions
Is five minutes really enough?
For a general class, yes. The point is to arrive warm rather than to complete a separate session.
Should I do this before yin or restorative?
No. Those styles are deliberately cool and passive, and a warm-up works against the intent.
Exercises in this guide
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