Dynamic Dog Agility Handler Warm Up - Video
12 Feb 2025
I’ve been training online with Chris Kerton of Karma Fitness for a few years now and experienced the benefits. One of the things Chris strongly advocates is warming up the handler and the dog before agility class and competition. Getting out of a chair and running hard, changing direction, rotating, and decelerating/accelerating is a recipe for injury if you haven’t got your body ready for all that action!
Chris has kindly let me share his warm up video:
Here’s Chris’ PDF with a text overview of each motion each motion has a timestamp matching the video so you can see it in action.
The first time you watch and try to follow along some of these motions may be difficult or feel weird. But, it’s just like when you started learning dog agility; you need to spend a little time practicing. At first if you only incorporate a few motions prior to running they will be beneficial. Then you can add more motions over time.
If you are like me and have trouble remembering the motions/order, here’s a bullet list of them that you can screenshot with your phone to keep with you:
- Walking Quad Stretch (quick arm raise heel to butt)
- Heel Flicks (walking kick heel to butt)
- Walking Knee Tuck (walking pull knee to chest)
- Moving High Knees (raising knees to chest forward)
- Walking Figure 4 Stretch (walking alternating raise ankle knee rotated outward)
- Hip Swings Front/Back (walking knee swing forward - touch hand)
- Dynamic Lunge Walk (walking forward lunge)
- Reverse Lunge Walk (walking backward lunge)
- Zombie Stretch Walk (walking straight leg swing arms toward toes)
- Heel/Toe Walk (walking heel to toe raise up on toes)
- Pogos (hopping on toes forward)
- Hip Openers (rotate knees up/out-in alternating then bacKward up/in-out)
- Body Weight Squats
- Lateral Shuffle (slight squat sideways shuffle)
- Straight Leg pulls (straight leg running motion)
- Backward Shuffles Sprint (shuffle back sprint forward increasing effort)
Over time I’ve replaced some and definitely spend more time on some vs others depending on how my body feels. Do what works best for you. But, please do some warm up.
Big, big thanks to Chris for putting this together and letting me share it with everyone! If you’d like to talk with Chris about starting your own journey to better health and fitness message him on Facebook tell him the AgilityNerd sent you!
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