The warm-up most people skip is the one that prevents the injury they're most afraid of

Ask any client what injury they fear most and shoulders or knees come up constantly. Ask the same clients if they warm up their hips before lower-body work, and almost none do, despite hip mobility being the single biggest predictor of knee strain I see in the gym.

The knee doesn't have much rotational capability built in — it relies on the hip above it to handle rotation so the knee itself only has to bend and straighten. A stiff hip forces the knee to absorb rotational stress it was never designed for, and that stress accumulates silently until it doesn't.

Two minutes of hip circles and lunges with a twist before lower-body training has done more for my clients' knee complaints than any brace or wrap I've ever recommended.

Part of the deeper dive: The Evidence-First Guide to Training, Eating, and Recovering Without the Hype.