QUICK ANSWERS
How long should a warm-up be?
Five to ten minutes for most workouts, longer before hard intervals, and what to do in them
A warm-up for intervals
| Part | Time | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Easy cardio | 5 min | Walk, jog, row or cycle at an easy pace |
| Moving the joints | 2 to 3 min | Leg swings, arm circles, lunges, hip openers |
| Build-ups | 2 min | Two or three short efforts, each a little faster |
Cool down too
After the last interval, keep moving easily for 5 to 10 minutes while your heart rate comes down 1. It’s also a good time to stretch.
Build them into your timer
- In a simple timer, set the warm-up and cool down fields: Cero runs them before the first set and after the last.
- In an advanced timer, add your own warm-up intervals, such as Easy jog, Leg swings and Build-ups, each with its own name and color.
- Save it, so the warm-up is never skipped.
Sources
- Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(7):1334-1359. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb
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Cero is a timer, not a medical device. If you’re new to hard exercise, are pregnant or have a health condition, check with your doctor first, and stop if you feel unwell.