PE Warm Up Routines – Structure & Outline

Outlined below is one way to structure your PE warm up routines. The main components of this
PE warm up are:

1) Light cardio
2) Dynamic Warm Up Exercises
3) Mobility & Static Stretching
4) Movement Prep

This is a commonly used structure for physical education classes with a fitness-focused
approach. It helps to introduce students to different movements and exercises while solidifying
the importance of technique and form.

Step 1: Get Moving (Elevated Heart Rate)

1A: Light Cardio
Before we do anything else, we must prime the engine. To do this, we elevate the heart rate,
incite blood flow to the entire body, and begin moving our muscles and joints in a low-intensity
environment. The goal here is to elevate body temperature and increase tissue elasticity. The
simplest way to accomplish this is to hop into some light “cardio” work. You have a whole host of
different options:
Jogging
Jog in place
Jumping Jacks

1B: Dynamic Warm Up Exercises

Once the heart rate is up, and blood has begun to flow, we like to transition directly into another
kind of continuous movement (you could also start the process here). Unlike our monostructural
cardio, though, we are working through fuller ranges of motion about different joints. Again, the
goal is to expand our initial warm up into more dynamic, movement-relevant motion.
Side lunge Hip Circles
Leg swings Arm Circles.
Arm Swings Walking Knee Hugs
Step 2: Mobility
After the body has been warmed up a bit, we sometimes like to slow things down a little with
some targeted mobility work. Passive mobility holds (aka static stretching), or tissue mashing,
can help prime our body for optimal movement and positioning in our upcoming training. When
done consistently, it can also improve our overall flexibility, stability, and range of motion over
time.
Arm Swing and Squat
Front Lunge
Sumo Squat and Wrist Circles
Lateral Lunge and Rotation

Step 3: Movement Prep (Experience Level Dependent)

At this point in your PE warm up routines, you have already covered a lot with light cardio, dynamic
stretches, and static stretches. Depending on your group of students, you may be ready to stop warm-up
and jump into the main lesson plan of the day.

 Plank Jack
 Jumping Rope

 Flamingo stand

 Plank

 Squats