Which sequence is often recommended to warm up the body for flexibility training?

Sun Salutations are often recommended to warm up the body for flexibility training because they effectively engage multiple muscle groups, increase blood circulation, and elevate heart rate. This dynamic sequence of poses, including forward bends, backward bends, and balance poses, helps to gradually open up the body, preparing the muscles and joints for deeper stretching and more intensive flexibility work.

The flowing nature of Sun Salutations promotes a greater range of motion and helps to warm the body up evenly, making it an ideal practice before embarking on flexibility training. The coordination of breath with movement improves respiratory function and enhances overall body awareness, which is beneficial during flexibility exercises.

In contrast, while standing poses can help strengthen and stretch, they may not provide the gradual warm-up that Sun Salutations do. Seated forward bends primarily focus on stretching the hamstrings and lower back, but they don't engage the entire body in movement, which can be crucial for a proper warm-up. Inversions, although valuable for building strength and balance, typically require a higher level of body awareness and strength, which might not be suitable for warming up in the same way as a more comprehensive sequence like Sun Salutations.