Self-Guided Warm-Up Checklist
Each student warms up on their own based on their sport or needs but must complete a checklist with five required sections. The teacher circulates and asks why they chose each exercise. It builds independence and the ability to apply warm-up principles.
How to play
- On arrival, each student picks up a sheet with five boxes: raise heart rate, joint mobility, muscle activation, drills specific to the main activity, and gradual increase in intensity.
- Minute 0-1: each student writes two exercises for each box and grabs the equipment they need from the cart (jump ropes, bands, balls, cones).
- Minutes 1-9: students complete their warm-up in their chosen order, checking off each box. The teacher circulates and asks several students why they chose their exercises.
- During this time, students may pair up for sport-specific drills if they need a partner.
- Minute 9-10: put equipment away, hand in the sheet, and rate from 1 to 5 how ready you feel for the main activity.
Rules
- All five boxes must be completed; the order is your choice, but high intensity comes last.
- Take equipment from the cart and return it there, never leaving it on the walkway.
- Work in your own space and check that no one is nearby before throwing or jumping.
Variations
Easier
The sheet includes a list of suggested exercises for each box.
Standard
Students freely choose the exercises for all five boxes.
Harder
Students must also write down which exercise helps prevent a common injury in their sport.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: provide a version of the sheet with upper-body and wheelchair exercises.
- Autism: offer a picture-based sheet with a recommended fixed order.
- Less experienced students: pair them with a classmate who helps choose exercises.
Learning goals
- Design and complete a personal warm-up independently.
- Apply warm-up phases and principles to your own practice.
- Explain exercise choices based on the activity that follows.
Equipment for a class of 25
- checklist sheets: 25
- assorted equipment
Teacher tip
At first some students will only jog and stretch; your questions are what helps them improve. Review the sheets to give individual feedback next class.
PatioLab has "Self-Guided Warm-Up Checklist" and 1299 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More warm-ups for High School
4v1 Warm-up Rondo
4v1 rondo in an 8×8-meter square: four players keep possession with passes along the ground while one player in the middle tries to win the ball.
5v2 Technical Warm-up Rondo
A 5v2 rondo (keep-away) to warm up with the ball: five players around the outside of a square keep possession while two in the middle try to win it.
Activation Ball Relays
Team relays in which each runner completes a 12-meter course dribbling with the hand, dribbling with the feet or passing, depending on the round.
Activation Circuit (4 Stations, 30 s)
Activation circuit with four 30-second stations: hoop jumps, squats, cone zigzag and plank.
Activation with Agility Ladder
Agility ladder warm-up using four footwork patterns of increasing difficulty.
Activation with Basic Plyometric Exercises
An activation with basic, progressive plyometric exercises: ankle hops, vertical jumps, lateral jumps and switch lunges.