Before you get onto the elliptical machine or hit the running trails, consider doing a short warm-up first. A warm-up may add a few minutes to your exercise routine; however, this might also reduce stress on your heart in addition to your other muscles.
Warm-ups generally involve performing your activity at a slower pace as well as a reduced intensity. Warming up assist with preparing your body for aerobic and resistance training activities. A warm-up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by increasing your body temperature as well as blood flow to your muscles. In addition, warming up may help with reducing muscle soreness and lessening your risk of injury.
During resistance training, the majority of injuries are caused by inadequate warm-ups and attempting to lift weights that are too heavy.
Warming up lubricates the tissues between the joints and increases the oxygenated blood supply to the muscles. It is essential to warm up properly in order to prepare the joints as well as muscles for the exercise session that is coming.
A good warm-up is an essential part of the exercise routine that should never be skipped.
What are the benefits of warming up?
There are a number of benefits of warming up. Here are some of them:
- Increased heart rate to prepare the body for the work ahead
- Increased blood flow through the active tissues, which leads to increased metabolism
- Reduction in pre-workout muscle stiffness
- Better use of oxygen in the warmed-up muscles
- Higher temperatures, which help the transmission and metabolism in muscles
- Increased mental focus on the training
Specific warm-ups can help with what is called “motor unit requirement” A motor unit consists of a nerve fibre together with all its related muscle fibres. Warming up will boost both the number of motor units brought into play and the rate in which they can contract
How long should a warm-up take?
A warm-up should take no more time than 20 minutes. Ideally, a good warm-up should last between five and 10 minutes and it should work all major muscle groups. For the best outcomes, begin slowly and then pick up the pace.
In addition, when your muscles are very sore from a previous workout, you will need to take more time with your warm-up.
What a warm-up should look like
A lot of warm-up routines focus heavily on cardio as well as range-of-motion exercises, such as jumping jacks and lunges. If you prefer, you can do a more straightforward warm-up by walking in place while softly swinging your arms, or even dancing to several songs.
After making sure that the blood is flowing to your muscles, it is time to start getting those muscles ready to work. Spend between two to five minutes performing dynamic stretching to warm up your muscles. This type of stretching makes use of motion in order to prepare your muscles for action. Leg swings, knee lifts, torso twists as well as arm circles are all examples of dynamic stretches to incorporate into your warm-up.
Begin your dynamic stretching motions small and increase the range of the motion with every repetition. Perform six to eight repetitions of each motion smoothly. Do not worry so much about the length of time that your dynamic stretching lasts. Rather, make sure you get a comprehensive head-to-toe warm-up which hits on all of the major muscles groups in your body.
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