Last Updated on March 22, 2024
Warming up is an important part of every workout. In just 5-10 minutes you can prepare your body for the upcoming physical strain of a workout and can prepare yourself mentally for a new activity.
Warm-ups prevent injury by:
- Increasing blood flow to tendons and ligaments
- Loosening muscles
- Gently increasing heart and respiratory rates
- Improving coordination
Why do you need to warm up?
Warm ups pump blood through muscles, loosens joints and activates tendons and ligaments. Moving through these moments even improves proprioception and significantly reduces the likelihood of injury. The question isn’t “Should I warm up?” it’s “How much should I warm up?”
What are the best ways to warm up?
- Dynamic stretches are better than static stretches!
- Fast walking or light jogging can quickly loosen the muscles.
- Monster walk, lunge walk, jumping jacks or rope skipping are also excellent options
- Try different options are discover what feels best for you!
Dynamic stretches are active movements where joints and muscles go through a full range of motion. This can be standing leg swings for the quads and hamstrings of steam engines for the low back and hips.
Static stretches are those in which you stand, sit or lie still and hold a single position for period of time, up to about 45 secondsare long hold stretches. These are better to use post workout but have been shown to decrease strength before exercise.