Introduction
The EWI Works Dynamic Warm-Up Program was created as part of our broader effort to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort and injury across a variety of work environments. As part of the development team, I played a direct role in shaping the program from start to finish—helping select and refine the exercises, coordinating and participating in filming the instructional content, and supporting the development of posters, hand guides, and manuals to make the routine easy to deliver consistently. The work was done in close collaboration with Linda Miller, EWI Works’ CEO, and supported by an external visual design partner to ensure the materials were clear, professional, and accessible on site.
The program was designed to be practical and scalable: a structured warm-up that supports mobility, tissue readiness, and body awareness—one component of a broader prevention strategy rather than a standalone solution. That intent comes through clearly in my interview, where I explain why dynamic warm-ups were pursued, how the program was built, how it should be implemented, and how workplaces can measure whether it’s working.
Why shift from static stretching to dynamic warm-ups?
Interviewer: Before you made the Dynamic Warm-Up Program at EWI Works, what did you notice in industry, and why change the approach?
Sean: We’d seen a lot of industries using static stretching programs, and on their own—separate from other ergonomic interventions—they didn’t show a major decrease in MSI risk. With dynamic warm-ups, where people move through motions and both extend and contract muscles, we’d seen better reductions in MSI risk, especially when combined with other ergonomic interventions. Static stretching can leave muscle fibers in a more lengthened state that can reduce force generation, so workers may start their day with lower capacity while the workload stays the same. That’s a bigger issue for aging workers whose capacity changes over time even if their work habits haven’t.
In other words, my case for dynamic warm-ups isn’t “stretching is bad”—it’s that dynamic preparation better matches the reality of submaximal work, and outcomes improve most when warm-ups are paired with broader ergonomics.
How did your kinesiology and ergonomics background shape the program?
Interviewer: How did your background influence the direction of the program?
Sean: Kinesiology is the study of human motion and ergonomics is the study of work. Putting them together helped us look at real tasks and choose motions that are most applicable. My own experience as a student athletic trainer reinforced how dynamic warm-ups prepare you for activity, and I drew from common elements across sports and body segments to build a routine that could translate to the workplace.
I see the warm-up as performance prep. Most work has physical demands—even when it’s labeled as “white collar.”
What were the challenges in making one routine work across industries?
Interviewer: What were some of the biggest challenges creating a routine that works across different industries?
Sean: Worksites aren’t uniform. Sometimes a single site includes office staff, lab workers, and warehouse workers. When I deliver the program, I’ll emphasize different parts of the routine based on tasks—reaching and pushing/pulling for lab work, hips/neck/shoulders/wrists for office work, and more squats/lunges and posterior-chain activation for warehouse and lifting demands.
The routine stays consistent, but the “why this matters” coaching changes depending on the work in front of the group—so people can connect the movement to their day-to-day tasks.
Who is the program for—and why do sedentary workers still need it?
Interviewer: Who was this developed for? Who should be doing dynamic warm-ups?
Sean: I initially had industrial workers in mind, but realistically it benefits most people. People are more sedentary now, and after sitting for more than two hours, neuromuscular activity to the glutes can decrease—meaning strength and coordination can drop right when someone gets up and needs to do something physical. Even outside of work, many hobbies are sedentary, so anything that improves physical literacy and connection to the body can help.
Warm-ups shouldn’t be seen as a “sports thing.” They’re human performance preparation for work.
How was the program developed—and why include train-the-trainer?
Interviewer: Can you talk about how the actual project was developed?
Sean: We started with a literature review on best application in an ergonomic program. We created a template, worked with a visual design company to develop professional posters and handouts, and we split delivery into two parts because we can’t always be onsite: a two-hour train-the-trainer session (barriers and how to overcome them), and a worker-facing program focused on practical benefits and how it supports capacity.
One point I like to highlight is that using large muscle groups early can increase blood flow and support lower blood pressure for a period afterward—which can support reduced inflammation and even reduce irritability and conflict at work.
When should teams do the warm-up routine?
Interviewer: When’s the best time to do it?
Sean: Beginning of the day is best—especially as a group. Also after longer breaks like lunch, after long drives for field-based workers, and if time allows, even at the end of the day. It can help bookend the day—getting into work mode and then decompressing out of it, which can support work-life balance.
If you tie the warm-up to rhythms that already exist (start-of-shift, post-break, post-drive), it’s much easier to sustain.
How does it fit into a broader safety strategy—and how do you measure success?
Interviewer: How does this fit into ergonomics or health and safety, and how could I measure success?
Sean: It helps workers get more in tune with their bodies by moving through ranges they may not use regularly, which can support early reporting. Supervisors can also observe limitations in range or discomfort during the warm-up and use that as an early prompt to check in—potentially catching issues earlier. In the bigger picture, it’s an administrative control: it doesn’t eliminate risk, but helps people deal with it better by building capacity. You can also tailor certain stretches to the tasks—like adding neck circles for prolonged monitor work. Meanwhile, your overall ergonomics program still needs risk and hazard assessments and controls.
Success isn’t only fewer injuries. It can also look like earlier awareness, better reporting, and stronger alignment with task-specific prevention work.
How could technology shape future versions of the program?
Interviewer: What role could technology or data play in future versions?
Sean: Computer vision is getting good at capturing rough data about tasks. You could imagine computer vision analyzing work tasks and helping select warm-up motions tailored to different positions. It could also help track quality over time—like whether someone’s range improves or becomes restricted.
Tech here isn’t about tracking, but rather about matching warm-ups to the work and spotting improvements or emerging limitations earlier.
What advice would you give organizations implementing warm-ups for the first time?
Interviewer: Final question—what advice would you give workplaces starting this for the first time?
Sean: Incentivize participation when you can (points, swag). Track engagement—how many stretches people complete (for example, 9 of 12 vs 12 of 12), and if possible track reps and adherence over time. If workers can self-score in an online system and see progress, that can improve engagement. For larger workforces, share top participation (top three or five) to add friendly competition without demoralizing people. And involve workers in leading and shaping it—rotate leaders quarterly so they feel ownership.
If you want this to stick, make it social, make it visible, measure adherence lightly, and build ownership so it lasts beyond the initial rollout.
Learn More: EWI Works Dynamic Warm-Up Program
Ready to bring a simple, scalable warm-up routine to your workplace? Explore how the EWI Works Dynamic Warm-Up Program can support mobility, readiness, and day-to-day consistency across your teams. Click here to learn more: ewiworks/offered
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