Though you see people doing them, toe touches and calf stretches won't prepare your muscles for a workout. The only way to warm up, say experts, is with light aerobic exercise: walking, easy jogging, or stationary cycling, for example. Do this for five to ten minutes, and you're good to go. Muscles are like toffee -- when cold, they're stiff and can tear if you overextend them. But they're pliable once the blood is pumping.

In fact, you can save stretching for post exercise. But don't skip it; the range of motion that limbering up supplies protects against injury and makes your next workout easier. When you do stretch, hold each position steady for ten to thirty seconds.