Importance of Warming Up

Do you warm up before working out or competing? If so, what kind of warm up, for what type of activity and what are your current physical abilities? Including the proper warm up is essential to improving your performance and preventing injuries!

The goal of a warm up is to raise aspects of the body (heart rate, breathing rate & temp) to the necessary work capacity without causing fatigue.

There are 2 types: General & Specific

A general warm up increases the functional potential of the body as a whole, whereas the goal of a specific warm up incorporates movements similar to the upcoming movements being performed. Warming up also enhances your mind set and mental readiness, especially when the activity is directly related to your workout or sport! Your workout or competition will be determined on how prepared your body is, mentally and physically, for the activity.

General Warm Up Example: fast paced walking, walking up and down stairs, fast paced side stepping, jogging, arm swings, lunges or squats

Specific Warm Up for a Leg Day Example: squats, lunges, leg swings, glute bridges, lateral lunges, knee or hip circles and banded squat walk

Benefits of a curated warm up:

1. Increases heart rate and blood flow to create more oxygen for muscles

2. Connects the mind with the body for a stronger muscle connection

3. Better balance, range of motion and muscle control

4. Increases in the “limit strength” of the muscle

5. Increases the amount of time a muscle is able to contract

6. Improves connective tissue’s ability to accept force

7. Reduces chances of injury

Your warm ups should be quick and ensure improved performance! Keep a journal or notes of you warm ups to track the progression of your performance and update as needed for the best type, intensity and duration for future work outs!

Not sure where to start?

Contact me and I’ll get you set up with the proper warm up to improve your performance and keep you injury free!