Are Warmups a Waste of Time? The Real Answer for Adults Over 40
If you have ever walked into the gym short on time, glanced at the clock, and thought, “Do I really need to warm up?” you are not alone.
I hear this question all the time, especially from busy parents over 40 who are trying to squeeze workouts into already packed schedules.
There are also some voices online who will tell you that warmups are a complete waste of time. The argument usually goes like this: why spend time warming up when you could be doing more “real” exercise?
On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who spend half their workout (or more) warming up every joint in their body, only to run out of time before they actually train.
So which one is right?
In this post, I want to break down exactly where warmups make sense, where they do not, and what a smart, efficient warmup should actually look like for adults over 40.
Because the answer is not “warm up for an hour” or “never warm up at all.”
The answer lives in the middle.
The Two Extremes That Get People in Trouble
When it comes to warmups, most people fall into one of two camps.
The first group does way too much.
These are the people who follow extremely detailed, physical therapy style warmups. They hit every joint. They do mobility drills for 30, 40, sometimes even 45 minutes before training.
By the time they are “ready,” there is no time left to actually train.
They might feel looser, but they did not build muscle. They did not improve their cardiovascular fitness. They did not get stronger.
At that point, the warmup has defeated the purpose of the workout.
The second group does almost nothing.
This is the classic scenario you see in gyms everywhere. Someone walks in, loads the bar or machine with the same weight they used last time, and just goes.
No ramp up. No preparation. No gradual exposure.
A lot of people get away with this for a while. Sometimes for months. Sometimes even for years.
Eventually, something gives.
When that happens, those same people often blame the exercise. Suddenly deadlifts are “bad for your back” or barbells are “dangerous.”
In reality, the issue was not the exercise. The issue was jumping in before the body was ready.
Neither extreme is ideal, especially as you get older.
The Goal of a Warmup Is Not Perfection
A good warmup is not about fixing everything or making your body feel perfect.
The goal is simple.
You want to get warm.
You want to prepare your joints and tissues.
You want to expose your body to different planes of motion.
You want to establish a good range of motion.
You want to be ready to train well.
That means increasing tissue temperature, waking your nervous system up, and gently preparing your body for the work you are about to do.
For adults over 40, this matters even more. Recovery is different than it was in your 20s. Muscle mass and coordination decline with age if you are not actively working on them.
A smart warmup helps you train better today and move better outside the gym.
Why I Prefer Dynamic Warmups AND Warmup Sets
My personal approach is simple.
I believe in dynamic warmups combined with warmup sets.
Yes, you can technically just start with lighter weights and work your way up. I have done that myself when I was short on time.
That approach works in a pinch.
But when you skip a dynamic warmup entirely, you leave a lot on the table.
Dynamic warmups help with far more than just the exercises you are doing that day.
Most strength training exercises live in the sagittal plane. That means forward and backward movement. Squats, bench presses, rows, and pull downs all fall into that category.
Real life does not.
In real life, you twist. You reach. You move side to side. You rotate and bend at awkward angles.
A dynamic warmup exposes your body to those movements in a controlled way.
That matters when you twist into the back seat of your car. It matters when you pick up a kid, a pet, or a piece of furniture. It matters when you move at an angle you do not normally train.
Dynamic warmups can help reduce injury risk by giving your body a little exposure ahead of time.
Injuries Often Happen at Unfamiliar Angles
One of the biggest reasons injuries happen is not because of heavy weight alone.
They happen because the body is exposed to a load at an angle it is not prepared for.
This is common in athletes who only train straight ahead bodybuilding movements. When they cut, jump, or land slightly off angle, something pops.
The same thing happens in everyday life.
Dynamic warmups gently expose you to those angles without overwhelming your system. You might still feel stiff or sore after an awkward movement, but you are less likely to end up with a full-blown injury.
That is a big win.
The Boxes Every Warmup Should Check
When I build warmups, I want to check a few key boxes.
Balance
Hip mobility
Shoulder mobility
Waking up the nervous system
These are not random choices.
As we get older, balance becomes a big deal. Fall risk goes up with age, especially as muscle mass and coordination start to decline. If you lose your balance and take a bad fall, the consequences can be serious. That is why balance shows up in every warmup I program.
Hip mobility matters because your hips drive almost everything you do. Walking, squatting, bending, twisting, getting out of a chair, even getting in and out of your car all depend on hips that can move well. When hips get stiff, other areas tend to take the hit.
Shoulder mobility is just as important. Most people live with their arms in front of them all day, whether that is driving, typing, or scrolling on their phone. A warmup is a great chance to get the shoulders moving through ranges you do not hit often, so they are ready for training and everyday tasks.
And finally, waking up the nervous system is about getting your body and brain on the same page. You want to feel more alert, more coordinated, and more aware of where your body is in space before you start lifting or moving faster.
When you check these four boxes, you are not just warming up for the workout. You are preparing your body for real life too.
A Simple Warmup Framework You Can Actually Use
If you want to build your own warmup, here is the framework I recommend.
Set a timer for 30 seconds per movement.
If it is a single-leg or single-arm exercise, do 30 seconds per side. If it is both sides together, do 30 seconds total.
Focus on four things:
One balance exercise
One hip-focused movement
One shoulder-focused movement
One movement that wakes you up and gets you moving
Here are examples straight from what I use.
For balance, single-leg wall taps are one of my favorites. Stand on one leg, reach the other foot back to tap the wall, then return to standing. Switch sides after 30 seconds.
Lunges also work well. You can do forward, backward, or lateral lunges. Hold onto something for balance if needed, then reduce support as you improve.
If lunges are not an option yet, simply stand on one foot and hold. If you cannot hold for 30 seconds now, work toward it. Over time, raise the knee higher or even try closing your eyes to increase the challenge.
For hips, seated rotations are great. Sit tall on the floor with your hands behind you and rotate your knees side to side. This works internal and external hip rotation.
You can pair that with a half-kneeling stretch or couch stretch to work hip extension and the front of the thigh.
For shoulders, movements like the world’s greatest stretch work well. The goal is simply to get the shoulders moving through a comfortable range.
For the final piece, I like to choose something that actually wakes you up.
This is where power and intent come in.
Things like fast feet, small jumps, medicine ball throws or slams, or even explosive sled pushes and pulls work really well here. The goal is not to gas yourself or turn the warmup into conditioning. It is simply to tell your body, “Hey, it is time to move.”
These movements help wake up your nervous system, improve coordination, and make you feel more switched on before you start lifting. When this box is checked, people usually feel more alert, more stable, and more ready to train instead of feeling flat or sluggish going into their first working set.
Do 1-2 rounds if you are short on time. Do 3 rounds if you can.
1-2 rounds takes about five minutes. Three rounds takes about ten.
That is it.
How to Know If Your Warmup Is Working
The best test is not how you feel during the warmup.
It is how you feel during your workout and later in the day.
Does your workout feel smoother?
Do you feel better when you leave the gym?
Does your movement quality improve over time?
If the answer is yes, the warmup is doing its job.
Warmups are not about doing more work for the sake of it. They are about making the work you do more effective and safer.
The Bottom Line on Warmups
Warmups are not a waste of time.
Overdoing them is.
Skipping them entirely is.
For adults over 40, the sweet spot is a short, focused dynamic warmup that prepares you to train and move well in real life.
Five to ten minutes can make a huge difference in how you feel, how you move, and how consistently you can train.
If you are on the fence, give it a try for a week or two.
Most people are surprised by how much better their workouts feel.
And better workouts lead to better results.
Want Follow Along Warmups You Can Use Right Away?
If all of this sounds good, but you are thinking, “I have no idea how to put that together,” do not worry. I have already done the work for you.
Right now, I have follow along warmup videos on YouTube that you can use immediately.
There is a bodyweight warmup that requires no equipment at all.
There is also a kettlebell warmup if you have access to one and want a little extra load.
Both are built around the same four things I talked about here:
Balance
Hip mobility
Shoulder mobility
Waking up the nervous system
You can press play, follow along, and be ready to train in just a few minutes.
I recommend giving them a try for a week or two and paying attention to how your workouts feel afterward and later in the day. Most people notice a difference pretty quickly.
If you want to start warming up the right way but do not want to overthink it or guess, I have two follow along YouTube warmups you can use right away. One is bodyweight only, and one uses a kettlebell. Both follow the exact format I outlined in this post.
Bodyweight Warmup:
Kettlebell Warmup:
