Work shifts — especially in physical jobs — throw you into sustained, demanding postures without warning. A pre-shift warm-up primes the joints and muscles you’ll load for the next 8–16 hours, reducing injury risk and stiffness.

Fitness Considerations

Most physical jobs load the spine — standing, bending, lifting, carrying. Pre-shift sequences prioritize spinal mobility (cat-cow, thoracic rotation) and core activation (dead bugs, bracing) to prepare the spine for sustained demand.

You won’t always have a mat or a gym. Pre-shift warm-ups are designed to be done standing in a locker room, parking lot, or at your station. Most sequences take 5–8 minutes with zero equipment.

Pre-shift warm-ups prepare you for the work; post-shift recovery undoes the damage. Using both creates a bookend system that prevents cumulative breakdown over weeks and months.

Sequences

# Sequence Description
21.01 Pre-Shift / Pre-Mo Warm-Up General pre-shift preparation for physically demanding work