If it takes you more than 3 seconds to relate to this image, I’ll assume your a polar bear; a really smart polar bear that can use the internet and possibly take over the world.
So… basically your muscles, joints and tissue make this face this when we skip the warm-up. If you want to reduce your risk of injury, improve your performance, and increase the benefits of your workout, then you need to Warm-Up and quit jumping right in.
Here are 10 science-backed reasons why warming up before exercise is a good idea:
- Increases blood flow to the muscles: Warming up helps to increase blood flow to the muscles, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, improving performance and reducing the risk of injury.
- Increases heart rate: Warming up gradually raises your heart rate, which helps prepare your cardiovascular system for the more intense workout to come.
- Improves flexibility: Warming up helps to loosen and warm up the muscles, increasing flexibility and range of motion, which is especially important for activities that require a lot of mobility, such as running or jumping.
- Reduces muscle soreness: Warming up can help to reduce muscle soreness by increasing blood flow to the muscles and helping to remove waste products from the muscles.
- Improves coordination: Warming up can help to improve coordination by increasing the brain’s awareness of the body’s movements.
- Reduces the risk of injuries: Warming up can help to reduce the risk of injuries by increasing the temperature of the muscles and joints, making them more pliable and less likely to tear or strain.
- Improves performance: Warming up can help to improve performance by increasing the body’s temperature, which can help the muscles to contract more forcefully.
- Increases mental focus: Warming up can help to increase mental focus by preparing the mind for the physical demands of exercise.
- Increases motivation: Warming up can help to increase motivation by getting the body moving and ready for exercise.
- Reduces fatigue: Warming up can help to reduce fatigue by increasing the body’s temperature, which can help the muscles to use oxygen more efficiently.
A proper warm -up consists of two key phases; a general warm-up and specific warm-up. The general is slow to moderate aerobic work such as a fast paced walk, using an incline if necessary, jogging, or cycling.
The specific warm-up will utilize exercises that prepare your body for the workout of the day as well as address any joint, muscle or movement compensations you are dealing with.
Spending a minimum of 5 to 7 minutes on each phase should be good enough. Just listen to your body. If it tells you to spend more time on each, then don’t neglect that little voice.