How do you warm up before you begin to exercise?

Depending on the type of workout you’re doing, different warm ups might be more or less beneficial. Regardless of your exact routine, warming up is a crucial step for a safe and effective workout. Here are some ideas and tips to get your body ready for exercise. 

Before a run

Dynamic stretching is a great warm up for any activity, but there are certain moves that will prime your body for running. Leg swings (both forward and back as well as side to side) loosen up the hips, while high knees and butt kicks will activate your quads, calves, and glutes. Doing some light aerobic activity is another great way to get your body ready to run. Try starting with a brisk walk, march, or even skip. Then, gradually up your pace to a slow jog before transitioning into a full pace run. 

Before a HIIT workout 

MINT offers many high intensity interval inspired workouts – check out our signature Power Playground, TRX Bootcamp, or Lunchtime Power Hour classes! These types of workouts, as the name suggests, are higher in intensity level and effort, and a warming up is important to prevent injury. Like running, dynamic stretching is a good first step. High knees, butt kicks, and lunges will get the lower body loose, while jumping jacks and arm swings will help activate shoulders, arms, and chest. 

Before lifting weights

While many people alternate cardio and weight days in their workout routine, incorporating light cardio into your lifting days is a great way to warm up your body. Just 5-10 minutes of easy-effort cardio – the elliptical and stationary bike are great options – will increase your heart rate, blood flow, and body temperature. Doing a “warm-up set,” or going through your actual lifting exercises with lighter weights, can also be a good way to start. 

Before yoga, pilates, or barre

Gentle movements that stretch your muscles, spine, and joints are key before a low-impact workout like yoga, pilates, or barre. Start by rolling out your wrists and ankles (especially for yoga, if you plan to do a downward facing dog pose). A seated or standing spinal twist will loosen up your midsection. A cat-cow stretch, alternating between rounding and arching your back, combined with some pelvic tilts, will further activate your core and back, prepping you for deeper stretches and static holding of poses. 

Warmups like the ones described above are a great way to prep your body for a workout. But they can also feel good to do throughout the day. For those with stationary jobs, taking short breaks to stand, stretch, or do other light movement can help prevent stiffness and pain. Whether you’re preparing for a tough workout or simply trying to get a bit more movement into your day, these moves will make your body feel good!

Every other Saturday through September | 8–8:30am | Intensity Studio

Whether you’re just lacing up for your first 5K or already have a wall full of race medals, one thing is true: stronger runners are better runners.

MINT trainer (and runner!) Dallas is leading a Strength Training for Runners Workshop, held every other Saturday morning through September. In just 30 minutes, you’ll focus on targeted exercises to boost your power, improve mechanics, and build the strength and stability runners need to stay fast, efficient, and injury-free.

Expect plenty of single-leg work, kettlebells, resistance bands, balance training, and plyometrics—all designed to complement your running routine and help you go the distance.

Workshop Dates:
7/19, 8/2, 8/16, 8/30, 9/13, 9/27
Time: 8:00–8:30am
Location: Intensity Studio
All levels welcome
Free for MINT members

Save your spot here.

Tight hips? Stiff back? Whether you’re crushing it in the weight room, running miles on the treadmill, or just looking to feel better in your body, MINT’s Stretch & Mobility Workshops are for you.

Led by expert personal trainer, Celae, and long-time MINT intructor and Intensity Director, Braegan, in our dedicated Stretch Studio, these sessions are designed to teach you effective, accessible techniques you can use anytime, anywhere. Learn how to stretch smarter, improve flexibility, boost mobility, and support recovery—so you can move through life with less tension and more ease.

Workshop Schedule (All through September):

Thursdays at 6:30pm with Celae
Saturdays at 10:00am with Celae
Sundays at 10:00am with Braegan

What to Expect:

• Simple, effective stretches you can use every day
• Mobility drills to help reduce tightness and improve range of motion
• Tools to enhance recovery and reduce risk of injury
• A calm, supportive environment to unwind and focus on your body

No experience required. All levels are welcome—and it’s totally free for MINT members.

Come for the stretch, leave feeling lighter, looser, and more in tune with your body.

Reserve your spot now and give your body the care it deserves.

10pack in-club 50min (Trainer) –$840

10pack in-club 50min (Master Trainer) – $940

10pack in-club 50min (Advanced Master Trainer) – $1,090

50pack in-club 50min (Trainer) – $3,950

50pack in-club 50min (Master Trainer) – $4,450

50pack in-club 50min (Advanced Master Trainer) – $5,200

Dallas McClendon brings a dynamic and well-rounded approach to personal training—one that’s rooted in both experience and empathy. A NASM-certified personal trainer, Dallas began his fitness journey as a college student, working with clients one-on-one, leading group fitness classes, and coaching university-level cheer and dance teams. His early foundation in strength training has evolved into a broad and adaptable training style designed for real life.

Now based in DC, Dallas understands firsthand the challenges of balancing work and wellness. With a background spanning both government and the private sector, he specializes in helping clients build sustainable systems that fit their lifestyle. Whether you’re training for weight loss, muscle growth, improved mobility, sports performance, or post-rehab support, Dallas focuses on creating personalized plans that help you stay consistent and energized.

As a dedicated runner himself—having competed in distances from 5Ks to full marathons—Dallas also supports runners with strength training and custom programming that builds endurance, power, and injury resistance. His sessions bring energy, variety, and challenge, so you’ll never be bored—and you’ll always feel like you’re getting closer to your goals.

No matter where you’re starting from, Dallas meets you there and helps you move forward.

We’re excited to welcome Celae Lynn, our newest full-time personal trainer.

Celae’s path to personal training is anything but ordinary — and that’s what makes her such an extraordinary addition to our community. A former athlete living with a neurological condition, Celae learned early on that the journey to wellness isn’t always linear, and it’s never one-size-fits-all. Her experience navigating her own body’s unique needs fueled a passion to help others do the same — with empathy, patience, and purpose.

With a background in physical therapy and published research on rare neuromuscular and neurological disorders, Celae brings more than your average rep-and-set knowledge to the gym floor. She brings depth. She brings science. She brings lived experience. And she’s ready to support each client as a whole person — not just a physical body.

Celae’s training philosophy is rooted in meeting people exactly where they are, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Whether you’re looking to build strength, move with less pain, return to exercise after injury, or simply feel more at home in your body, Celae creates customized, sustainable programs that prioritize long-term well-being over quick fixes.

At MINT, we believe in redefining what it means to be “fit” — and Celae embodies that spirit beautifully. For her, fitness isn’t just about aesthetics or personal bests. It’s about feeling strong, safe, and empowered in your own body. It’s about building a support system, finding joy in movement, and showing up for yourself — again and again.

The prevalence of shoulder pain tends to increase and become more severe as we age – especially for folks in their 50’s and beyond.

When people complain of shoulder pain – it can manifest in a lot of different ways. Sometimes pain appears in the front, sometimes on the very top of your shoulder, sometimes deep inside your joint… But probably the most annoying and uncomfortable type of shoulder pain I hear about is the one that occurs deep inside your shoulder blade.

It’s tough to get to, tough to pinpoint, and even harder to make go away.

It kind of feels like middle back pain – but also feels like shoulder pain – so which is it? And more importantly… Why isn’t it going away?

There are many reasons why we get shoulder pain and there’s a good explanation why it can move around and appear in so many places. It’s the most mobile joint in your body, which lends itself to lots of ways to get injured. And to add even more confusion – 47% of all shoulder pain originates from a source in your spine (neck) – even when you don’t have any neck pain.

Therefore, misdiagnosis of shoulder pain is very common and it’s probably the most common reason I see for that nagging shoulder blade pain not going away – no matter how many times you massage it, stretch it, or “thera-gun” it.

If you’ve had nagging shoulder blade pain for a while now and it’s not going away – there’s a really good chance it’s not actually a shoulder problem and you’ve been misdiagnosed.

Let’s look at a few key signs and considerations to help you figure out if that nagging pain in the middle of your shoulder blade has been misdiagnosed:

1. Location of your pain?

When your pain is coming from a source within your shoulder, the pain will be localized to your shoulder joint. “True” shoulder pain is typically felt directly in front of your shoulder, on top of your shoulder, or in a more involved shoulder problem (like a rotator cuff injury) you might feel some achiness down the side of your arm. But the pain will never radiate below your elbow. If the nagging pain in your shoulder blade ever causes pain past your elbow and into your forearm or hand, or radiates above your shoulder into your neck (the upper trap area) – odds are pretty good that you’re dealing with a spine problem and not a shoulder problem.

2. Do you experience numbness, tingling or burning?

If the nagging pain in your shoulder blade is ever associated with numbness, tingling, or burning – these are signs of nerve irritation, or perhaps nerve compression. If that’s happening – the problem is almost certainly coming from your neck. It’s very common for things like bulging discs to compress nerves, or limit movement, which can irritate nerves in your neck. The nerves in your neck will commonly refer symptoms into your upper shoulder/upper trap area, down your arm, and… you guessed it… right into the middle of your shoulder blade. And remember – you could be experiencing the referred symptoms without much (or any) pain in your neck. If you’ve got symptoms of numbness, burning, or tingling in your arm or shoulder along with nagging shoulder blade pain – and you haven’t yet gotten your neck examined by a mechanical pain specialist – there is a good chance you’ve been misdiagnosed.

3. Does posture affect your pain?

Do you notice that your shoulder blade pain changes depending on your posture? This is another telltale sign that your shoulder blade pain is likely coming from your neck. Our heads are inclined to remain upright on top of our shoulders to look ahead at what’s in front of us. So when you slouch your middle back – your neck will always compensate so your head can look forward. Ever hear of the term “forward head posture”? That’s what we call the compensation your neck makes for curved, slouchy posture in your middle back. And in forward head posture, you will stretch out and eventually irritate the nerves in your lower neck. The nerves in your lower neck – particularly the areas of your C6 and C7 vertebrae – refer right into the middle of your shoulder blade. So if you notice the pain easing when you sit upright or lie down, and increasing with long car rides or sitting at a computer (when your back tends to be slouched) – there’s a very good chance the pain in your shoulder blade is coming from your neck.

The good news is that even if you’ve been misdiagnosed for some time, nagging pain in your shoulder blade is typically a mechanical problem and can be fixed naturally with a corrective movement prescription, postural training and education, and strengthening the areas around your neck and middle back. You don’t need to resort to injections or pain killers. Do me a favor though – don’t try and fix this problem yourself or by looking up exercises on YouTube. We call it a movement prescription for a reason – and it should be prescribed to you by a physical therapy specialist who has a deep understanding of the intricacies of mechanical pain and how it all works. If you want help finding someone like this in your area – get in touch – I’m happy to help.

Local to the DMV area? Looking for movement experts or a mechanical pain specialist to help you with lingering shoulder pain and unsure where it’s coming from and how to make it go away? Schedule a free discovery visit with us today

CLICK HERE to request a Back Pain Strategy Session from a back pain specialist at my clinic, or email at trupti@mmsspt.com, or CALL (202) 670 8874 for a FREE telephone consultation so we can ask you some questions and help you better.

Trupti Mehta PT, MS, OCSManual Medicine, Spine & Sports Physical Therapy, Washington DC

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We’re thrilled to welcome a new face to our yoga family: Natalie Petrulla, a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who brings a decade-long passion for yoga and a deeply intentional teaching style to our studio.

Natalie began her yoga journey over ten years ago as a form of stress relief and quickly found herself drawn to the physical aspects of the practice. But it wasn’t long before she discovered the deeper layers of yoga—pranayama, breathwork, and the power of mindfulness—and something clicked. Today, Natalie teaches vinyasa-style classes that feel like moving meditations, blending breath, body, and mind to help students find grounding and release.

Whether you’re new to yoga or deep into your practice, Natalie’s classes offer space to grow, pause, and reconnect. Her approach is inclusive, calming, and empowering—designed to meet you exactly where you are.

The weekend of June 14th and June 15th is Member Appreciation Weekend at MINT!

To celebrate our appreciation, we’ve created a special class schedule for you to enjoy, where you can bring a friend to any of these classes for FREE. All you have to do is register your buddy here and then sign yourself up twice to reserve a spot for your buddy.

In addition to our special class schedule, we have included weekend-only community partner goodies.

Class Schedule

• BONUS CLASS: FRIDAY, JUNE 13TH
  • 12pm Rhythm Ride – Pop Divas (50 minutes) – Mara
    • Get ready to ride like a queen! Join Mara for a high-energy Rhythm Ride featuring fierce tracks from your favorite pop divas. Think Beyoncé, Britney, Gaga, and more – this playlist slays, and so will you.
• SATURDAY, JUNE 14TH
  • 11am Yoga Hand Balancing Workshop – (60 minutes)- Seara
    • Take your practice to new heights! Seara will guide you through fun and empowering drills to help you master crow, headstands, and handstands. Expect hands-on-support, lots of encouragement, and a whole new view-literally.
  • 12:10pm Cardio Pilates – (50 minutes) – Meg
    • Pilates-but make it spicy. This fast-paced twist on classic mat Pilates adds quicker transitions and amped-up core work. Get your heart pumping and your abs shaking with Meg’s signature energy.
• SUNDAY, JUNE 15th
  • 11:10 am Hot Pilates Summer: Ring of Fire – (50 minutes)- Sally
    • It’s getting hot in here! Sally is bringing the heat with a Pilates burner that uses the fitness circle to fire up your glutes, core, and shoulders. Feel the sizzle, embrace the shake, and leave feeling strong (and maybe a little sweaty).

Enjoy goodies from our community partners which include…

• Baked by Braegs
• Trupti Mehta PT, MS, OCSManual Medicine, Spine & Sports Physical Therapy, Washington DC
• The Cakeroom
• Fuerté