Fun Partner Warmup Ideas
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to do a fun couples workout with your sweetheart. Exercising together is the ultimate boost to your health and the health of your relationship.
Before we get to all the great benefits (and share a partners workout from CA personal trainer Andy Guerin), we’ll cover some great dynamic stretching moves so you and your Valentine can warm up those muscles first.
Dynamic stretching 101
Dynamic stretching is more, well, dynamic, than static stretching (which involves holding stretches in place, as in a toe touch). CA trainer Darrell Gough likes to use the analogy of saltwater taffy.
“If it’s cold and you try to bend it, the taffy breaks,” says Gough. “The same philosophy applies to your muscles and joints. To properly protect them, dynamic stretching is essential before jumping into your workout.”
Dynamic stretching is all about replicating the movements that you’ll be doing in your workout to prep your body for those motions. It raises the temperature of your muscles and stimulates the nervous system, so that your nerves are more ready for the specific action that you’ll perform. Ultimately, this improves your range of motion and reduces your chance of injury.
“The major thing to know is that dynamic stretching needs to be more than just walking on a treadmill or hopping on a bike,” says Gough. “Taking a brisk walk is a great start, but it can’t be your full warmup because it doesn’t properly warm up the upper body and core.”
Warm up together
Okay, time to get moving and inject a little love into that warmup! There’s endless ways to get creative, but feel free to let these moves inspire you.
Partner leapfrogs
Who said leapfrog is only for kids? Play a little leapfrog with your partner for 60 seconds to two minutes. Your heart will start pumping more blood and oxygen to the muscles…while you and your boo have some silly fun!
Partner side frog
This move is just the same as leapfrog, except this time you’ll move laterally (side to side) rather than forward and back.
Potato sack lunges
Stand shoulder to shoulder with your partner. Wrap your inside arm around their shoulder or hip (depending on your sizes). Then simultaneously step forward together into a lunge, moving your inside legs in tandem. Rise up to standing, lifting your outside legs as you step forward to lunge again. Alternate sides for one minute.
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Squats
Grasp each other’s forearms as you face each other. Sink into a squat at the same time, just holding for one breath before returning to standing. Take 20 partner squats.
Burpees to high 5’s
Face each other while doing 10 burpees. Every time you come back to standing, give each other a high 5!
Plank quick feet
Partner A holds a high plank while Partner B actively jogs back and forth across the other’s legs. Partner B will start standing between A’s feet, then hop over their right calf (landing on their right foot). Partner B will then set their left foot back down between the As legs, and hop the right foot back to center. Keep performing this action lightly, pumping the arms. Each partner should perform both exercises twice for 60 seconds. For a gentler version, step over your partner instead of hopping.
Get stronger together at CA
If you loved this warmup, make sure to try this heart-pumping workout (demo’ed by CA members Chelsea and Joel Bork) next!
Interested in more partner workouts? At CA, we offer personal training in small groups, so you and your significant other (or friend, family member, etc.) can get stronger together under the guidance of a trained professional. We even offer virtual training if you’d prefer to exercise from home. Learn more about our personal training programs here.