15 Best Muscle-Activation Exercises for Your Entire Body

Muscle-activation exercises have some serious perks, including improving your overall performance in the activities you love to do. “Muscle activation warmups can help prevent injury and also improve stamina,” Ellen Thompson, CPT, head trainer at Blink Fitness, previously told Well+Good. “By activating specific muscles, you can improve your range of motion and flexibility, which can help with overall movement quality.”

If you have a body and muscles, here are 15 simple, straightforward exercises you can do to get moving. Pro tip: These are great to do before any type of physical activity to get your muscles warmed up (for example, if you’re doing an upper-body strength workout, you’ll want to warm up your muscles before the main event). However, these moves are also fantastic to do whenever you want to get some extra movement in. Choose your own adventure.

1. Scapular squeeze

This move—also called a hanging scapular retraction—activates your back muscles and is great for building your mind-muscle connection.

1. Carefully step up to a pull-up bar and hold onto it with an overhand grip (your wrists facing away from you) and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Start with your arms fully extended and your body hanging straight.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades down and together, without bending your elbows.
3. Hold for one second, then release. That’s one rep.
4. Repeat.

2. Thread the needle

The thread the needle stretch improves mobility and flexibility in your shoulders and back.

1. Begin on your hands and knees.
2. Lift your left hand off the ground and reach it under your body toward the right, allowing your shoulder and the side of your head to lower to the floor. Your right arm should stay straight, supporting your weight as you twist.
3. As you “thread” your left arm under your right, aim to stretch as far as comfortable. You should feel a stretch through your left shoulder and the thoracic (middle) region of your spine.
4. Maintain this position, breathing deeply and allowing your muscles to relax into the stretch.
5. Pull your left arm out, returning to the quadruped position.
6. Reset your posture before repeating on the other side.

3. Superhero to push-up

This combination move activates your shoulders and back, but you’ll feel your glutes and hamstrings firing up as well.

1. Start lying face down on a mat or the floor.
2. Extend your arms overhead and straighten your legs.
3. Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor by contracting the muscles of your back and glutes.
4. Hold this position for one or two seconds while contracting the muscles of your back.
5. Slowly lower your arms, chest, and legs back to the ground.
6. Repeat this four times.
7. Then do a push-up: From a high plank position, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line, bend your elbows and lower yourself down toward the floor. Try to lower down until you almost touch the ground (or go as far as you can go without sagging your hips or flaring your elbows). Press upward until your arms are fully straight and you are in the starting position.
8. Repeat the sequence of four superheroes and one push-up.

4. Plank walkout with shoulder tap

This move activates your shoulders. As an added bonus, you’re work your core and even your hamstrings with this plank variation.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend at your waist and walk your hands forward until you are in a high plank.
3. In the plank, tap your left shoulder with your right hand
4. Place your hand back down and tap your right shoulder with your left hand before returning it to the floor.
5. Walk your hands back toward your feet.
6. Stand and repeat.

5. Sunrise

This exercise opens your shoulders up by activating your upper back and stretching your chest muscles.

1. Sit in the middle of the seat of a chair with your knees bent to 90 degrees, knees over ankles.
2. Bring your palms together at the center of your chest.
3. Keep your chest tall and core engaged as you press your hands together and lift them over your head.
4. Open your hands to the front as you circle your arms out to the sides.
5. As you lower your arms, bend your elbows and bring them into your sides, forearms at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
6. Pause, then reverse the movement all the way up to the top, where you’ll bring your palms together and then back to the center of your chest.
7. Repeat.

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6. Forearm plank

The forearm plank activates your core muscles, particularly your rectus abdominis (the top layer of your abs muscles, commonly referred to as the “six-pack”) and transverse abdominis (one of the deepest abs muscles).

1. Start on all fours in a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the ground.
2. Lower yourself onto your forearms, bending your elbows at 90 degrees, and placing them directly below your shoulders.
3. Lift one knee up at a time, placing your weight on your toes with your legs fully extended.
4. Maintain a straight line with your whole body, engaging your core.

7. Bird dog

The bird dog builds core stability, activating core muscles like the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques (your side-core muscles), and erector spinae (muscles that run vertically along your spine).

1. Start on your hands and knees with your hands directly in line with your shoulder and knees in line with your hips.
2. Look down at the floor and brace your core (tucking your tailbone just slightly) to create a straight line from the tip of your head to your tailbone.
3. Reach your right arm straight out in front of you until your upper arm is in line with your ear.
4. Simultaneously reach your left leg straight behind you, fully extending your knee.
5. Pause here for a moment.
6. Reverse the motion and return to the starting position.
7. Switch sides, reaching your left arm forward and raising your right leg back.
8. Pause and then return to the starting position.

8. Dead bug

The dead bug activates the following core muscles: your transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and obliques.

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees and also pointing to the ceiling.
2. Engage your core to press your lower back into the floor.
3. Slowly extend your right leg and lower it toward the floor while simultaneously lowering your left arm overhead.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
5. Continue alternating sides, keeping your movements slow and controlled.

9. Supported side plank with leg raise

While this side plank variation works your rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis, the exercise’s main focus is your obliques.

1. Set up your side plank: Lie on your right side with your right forearm on the mat under your shoulder, perpendicular to your body. Stack your legs and lift your hips off the ground. Keep your right knee on the ground and straighten your left leg.
2. Raise your left leg as high as you can without losing form, keeping it straight.
3. Lower your leg back down and repeat.

10. Crunch

This classic core move works all the major players: your rectus abdominis, obliques, transversus abdominis, and even your hip flexors.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your head, gently holding your head with your fingers.
2. Engage your core and lift your upper body toward your knees, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor. Your neck should remain relaxed, and your chin slightly lifted.
3. Lower back down to the starting position and repeat.

11. Glute bridge

This quintessential glutes exercise activates your glutes while boosting hip stability and even lessening lower back strain.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart. Your feet should be close enough to your hips that if you reach one hand at a time toward each heel, you could just touch it with your fingers.
2. Rest your upper arms and elbows on the floor and make a fist with your hands.
3. Tuck your tailbone slightly. Squeeze your glutes and core, then press your heels into the ground to drive your hips up toward the ceiling until you form a diagonal line from knees to hips to chest.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the exercise and pause for a moment.
5. Then slowly lower your hips back down to the floor.
6. Repeat.

12. Alternating lunge

Activate your quads, glutes, and hamstrings with the alternating lunge—because what’s a lower-body routine without some lunges?

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips.
2. Inhale and take a big step forward with your right foot. As you plant your right foot, bend both knees to about 90 degrees. Your front knee should be aligned with your ankle, and your back knee should hover just off the floor.
3. Extend both knees and shift your weight to step your right foot back to the starting position.
4. Repeat with your left leg.
5. Continue alternating between your right and left legs.

13. Monster walk

Despite the name, monster walks are nothing to be scared of. They activate your glutes and hip abductor muscles, which work to move your legs away from your body.

1. Place a resistance band above your knees.
2. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent (think: a mini-squat).
3. Push your hips back and keep your back flat.
4. Step one foot forward and diagonally outward, keeping tension on the band. Avoid dragging your feet.
5. Repeat, stepping forward with the other foot. Take small, controlled steps while keeping the knees in line with the second and third toes.
6. Keep walking forward until you complete all your reps. Then repeat the movement walking backward.

14. Downward facing dog with calf pump

Stretch your hamstrings and lower back, plus activate your calves with this move. You’ll improve flexibility and even circulation in your legs.

1. Place both hands on a mat, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Position your feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet in a push-up position.
2. Maintaining a neutral spine and engaging your core, lift your hips toward the ceiling to form an inverted V-shape with your body.
3. With your knees slightly bent, press your heels toward the mat and tilt your tailbone upward to deepen the stretch.
4. To perform the calf pump, bend your left knee slightly, lifting your left heel off the floor while pressing your right heel firmly into the mat.
5. Switch sides by bending your right knee and pressing your left heel into the mat. Alternate between right and left calf pumps.

15. Squat and reach

The squat portion of this move activates your entire lower body and core, while the reach targets your upper back and shoulders.

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hands by your sides. Engage your core by gently drawing your ribs toward your hips.
2. Inhale, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that’s comfortable).
3. Exhale, pressing evenly through your feet as you place one hand on the ground and lift the other arm up to the sky while still in a deep squat.
4. Twist slightly toward your outstretched hand, reaching for sky.
5. Repeat on the side, and continue alternating sides