The best warmup when you are short on time (without hitting the gym)

Even though warming up before workout won't burn hundreds of calories it still becomes crucial to incorporate it into your daily exercise routine. When you spend all day sitting at a desk curled over a keyboard, the muscles in the body become inactive. This lack of movement makes the muscles extra tight and constricted. Working out after that and immediately doing bodyweight exercises or running can strain the muscles and cause damage. Warming up before a workout prevents muscle injury and gets the blood flowing before a workout. But you do not need to spend a lot of time for warming up. If you do not have time for a long warm up routine in the morning, try this short and effective warm up routine to target your entire body. Move through the stretches, and you will prepare your body for an excellent workout in just five minutes. Also, do not do static stretches like toe touches, chest stretches, back stretches, and upper back stretches, before a workout. Doing dynamic stretches is the way to go. While static stretching involves motions which help the exerciser reach a point of tension while holding the stretch (basically a stretch and hold), dynamic stretching involves moving body parts while gradually increasing range and speed of movement with movements like neck rolls, arm circles, trunk twists, and leg kicks. However, how you should warm up will depend on the type of activity. For example, before running, you can do some walking or light jogging for five minutes. You can also do dynamic stretches to reduce muscles stiffness. Here are 5 stages of stretching for improved flexibility. Cooling down Along with warming up, another critical phase of your workout which most people tend to ignore is cooling down. It's just as important as warming up, and the main aim is to return your body to a state of rest by relaxing the nervous system, lowering the heart rate and preventing blood pooling in the muscles that you've worked out. Try this cool down routine to avoid muscle aches and cramps. Image source: Getty Images Video source: FitnessBlender/YouTube