Published May 9, 2022, 10:07 a.m. by None
Warming up should be the first thing you do when stepping into the gym, getting ready for a run, or playing a pickup game of basketball at the local park. By taking 10 to 15 minutes to simply warm-up before exercise, you will be able to perform better and reduce the likelihood of sustaining injury.These blood-pumping strategies will help you have your best sweat yet. By warming up, we are telling our bodies, "Ok, it's time to get moving," which helps our muscles and cardiovascular system prepare for high levels of effort. Warming up before exercising is not only important to prevent injuries but also many other things and below are the reasons why you should always warm-up before exercising.1. To Increase Body Temperature.While working out all of your body cells require more oxygen than it requires at regular times, so when you warm up, you increase your body temperature and at the same time you are helping your body to deliver more oxygen to all of its cells for a healthy workout session.2. Increases Blood Flow to The Muscles.Your muscles need to be well-fed with oxygen and nutrition to allow you to carry out an exercise session, warming up helps in increasing the blood flow to the muscles, increasing their elasticity, and making them work more efficiently during exercise or workout sessions.3. It Sets Your Heart Ready for Exercise.Your heart is the organ responsible to pump oxygen-rich blood through your body and since your body cells require or demand more oxygen during a workout, your heart will need to work faster and harder, a warm-up helps in adjusting your heart to recognize the body’s need of more oxygen.4. It Reduces the Chances of Muscles Injuries. When you lift a heavyweight during exercise, your muscles contract quickly to gain more strength, and your body then later produces fluid to lubricate the muscles back. When you warm up, you simulate your body a hint to produce adequate Fluid to lubricate the muscles, which will prevent any injuries caused by the constant muscle contractions and relaxation during exercise.How to Warm Up.You always want to start the warm-up slowly with a few in-place, dynamic movements (i.e. knee hugs) and gradually move towards a higher-effort movement at the end of the warm-up (i.e. high knees for 10 yards). To ensure a successful warm-up, do these three things:· Elevate Your Heart Rate: By starting slow, you are giving your body the chance to gradually raise your heart rate over the 10 to 15-minute time period before exercise. · Increase Blood Flow: During exercise, blood carries oxygen to the working muscles while also transporting byproducts away. With your warm-up, you are turning on some of these shuttle systems before you stress them during the workout· Use Similar Movements: The primary goal of the warm-up is to prep the body for the activity you are planning to do. Therefore, include movements that closely resemble your workout for the day. This may include knee hugs, hip hugs, and leg kicks if you are planning on doing squats in the workout. As long as you meet those three goals during your warm-up, your body will be ready for the training session. Remember to start slow and gradually pick up the pace until your heart rate has elevated slightly, your blood flow has increased and your limbs are loose. Now you're ready for an incredible workout.
