Health x Wellness
Warm-up for a Great Workout
If you’ve been skipping your warm-ups before running or working out, here’s why you should start now.
Research has shown that many injuries sustained during workouts are due to improper warm-ups before exercise. Minimising injuries during your workout is even more important as you get older. Besides protecting you from injury, warm-ups can also improve your performance during the activity. Let’s explore what a simple warm-up routine can do for your body prior to exercise.
First things first, the whole purpose of doing a warm-up routine is to raise the temperature of your muscles so that your body can better respond to challenges. As higher muscle temperature increases blood flow to your muscles, the haemoglobin in your blood will release oxygen more readily to your working muscles. It’s no surprise if you find an improvement in your endurance levels and overall performance as a result!
In addition to that, higher muscle temperature helps your muscles contract and relax more effectively and quickly. This can enhance your speed and strength during the workout and reduce your risk of pulling or tearing a muscle.
A general warm-up routine typically involve activities that stimulate blood flow to the muscles and ideally last for between five to ten minutes. Activities like slow jogging, jumping jacks and calisthenics are great for stimulating the cardiovascular system before moving on to a more vigorous activity. Once you notice your heart rate going up, you’re more or less warmed up and ready to go!
While the type of warm-up exercises you do really depends on the type of workout and sport you’re doing, there’s no denying what that extra five to ten minutes can do for your body and your performance. Don’t skip a warm up session the next time you work out!
