How To Effectively Warm Up

Warm up is a session which takes place before doing physical activity. It consist of cardiovascular exercises along with stretches which are designed to increase circulation, bring the heart rate up and increase the body temperature while stretching helps to warm the muscles and make them ready for the movements that will be required to carry out during the activity. The most important reason for doing a warm up is to decrease the chance of suffering an injury during exercise. Most of the warm up sessions are held between 20 to 30 minutes which is enough to get ready for the physical activity and makes the player mentally ready.

The Best Way to Warm Up

The best way of warm up is to never start with static stretches, as they require little movement of the body. Dynamic warm ups are the best as they engage more muscles and get the heart pumping. Light aerobic exercise should be done for five to ten minutes. Warm ups should be adjusted according to the exercises a person will be doing during his workout.

Some great warm up exercises include the following:

Jogging On The Spot

Jogging on the spot is a great way to get your heart pumping and blood flowing. It engages all the muscles in your body and will help in bringing oxygen into your lungs. Always remember to breathe steadily while performing this exercise.

Hopping On The Spot

Hopping is a more intense warm up exercise than jogging. It also effectively gets your heart pumping. You may feel out of breath quickly when you first start hopping, but slowly your body will adjust to the movement and regulate your breath, so you will then be able to hop for longer periods of time before becoming out of breath.

High Kicks

High kicks are a great way to get blood flowing in the legs and also help increase your range of mobility. Try performing 20 kicks on each leg to start with. With each kick, remember to engage your muscles and stretch your leg out as much as possible.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are a high intensity warm up exercise that engages all muscles in the body. Remember to stretch your arms and legs out as much as possible with each jumping jack, and don’t forget to breath in and out. Start with 15 jumping jacks, and increase as you become more comfortable with the exercise.

Benefits Of Warm Up

While it may seem too tiring to warm up before each work out or training session, there are many reasons why it is necessary to do it. Below are just a few benefits of warming up.

Increased Body Temperature:

The temperature is increased within the muscles they are used during a warm up. A warmed up muscle contracts more forcefully and relaxes more quickly.

Increased Blood Temperature:

The temperature of blood is increased more quickly as it travels through the muscles. The increase in the blood temperature weakens the bind of oxygen with the hemoglobin so the oxygen is available more available to working muscles.

Improved Joint Range of Motion:

This increases the range of motion around the joint.

Hormonal Changes:

During warm up body increases its production of certain hormones which are responsible for the production of regulating energy. This balance of hormones makes more fatty acids and carbohydrates available for energy production.

Mental Preparation:

The warm up is a good time for clearing mind, reviewing skills and strategy and increasing the focus.

Which warm up exercises do you preform before a training session? Comment below!