Importance of Warming Up...

We have seen athletes perform some form of warm-up and cool down during training and running. Warm-ups helps to increase blood flow to the muscles which then reduces muscle stiffness, risk injuries and improved performance. It also helps in the physiological and psychological preparation.

Experts believes it is necessary to sweat a little during warm-up. Warming up before exercise contributes to a number of health benefits which in turn facilitate the work out sessions. Although primarily a warm up increases the heart rate through which the body gets geared up for physical exertion, it also enhances the reflexes by speeding up nerve impulses.

The increased heart rate sends oxygenated blood to the muscle groups, enhancing muscle activity and reducing stiffness. The increased blood flow also helps in higher metabolism rates and promotes better flexibility and joint mobility.

How does a person warm up properly? Initially, it can be done in any procedure that enables the heart to beat faster. One can simply walk and jog, or if a cardiovascular equipment is available, such as rowing machine or a bicycle, it can be utilized. Start at a gentle pace, and then slowly increase the pace until heart beat rate increases and the body temperature rises. It important to note that the pace should be in accordance to one ‘ s current fitness level, where the activity will leave the person energized and not exhausted.

Gradually increasing the intensity of your specific sport. This uses the specific skills of a sport and is sometimes called a related warm-up. For runners, the idea is to jog a while and add a few sprints into the routine to engage all the muscle fibers.

Try adding movements not related to your sport in a slow steady manner. Calisthenics or flexibility exercises for example. Ball players often use unrelated exercise for their warm up.

Experts are of the opinion that there are two primary stages of warming up. The first stage is using those muscles in aerobic activities, which would be required for working out and then move on to some stretching exercises, lending further flexibility to the muscles.

Five to ten minutes of light activities such as stationary cycling or walking prior to stretching exercises can help make stretching more beneficial and easier.

Warm up session should always be followed by stretching exercises and each of these exercises should last for a duration of 10 to 30 seconds.

It is important to control your breathing while performing stretching exercises. The limbs can be stretched to the point of slight discomfort and not more.

Warming up and cooling down are essential and should be considered to be an integral part of the workout session itself. When a person suddenly stops exercising or lifting weights, blood gathers in the muscle and oxygen is blocked. When this happens, a person runs the risk of having a heart attack. So cooling down should have the same importance as warming up.

Everyone is encourage to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Just remember to make the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of injuries and maximize the benefits of exercising.