Warming up before any exercise is important.
Anyone involved in strenuous physical activities or activities, which take concentrated, and focused muscles movement should be aware of the importance of warming up.
Ignoring the importance of warm up exercises can lead to serious consequences.
Warming up is important.
It helps the body to handle the increase in blood flow, respiratory rate and increases the amount of nutrients and blood flow, which is delivered to the body in preparation for activity.
It is important that the rate of increase happen at a regulated and steady pace.
Without a warm up the body is not adequately prepared for the level of activity demanded of it and therefore the activity is less effective than if a warm up was done prior to the start strenuous activity.
Mental awareness, nervous system response, and loosened joints and muscles make the body less prone to injury and are some of the main reasons to participate in warm up exercises.
Warm up exercises help to prepare the fluid in the joints as well making the joints less susceptible to wear and tear, it also gives the heart adequate time to prepare for the increased demand of blood.
Older people especially must take warm up exercises into consideration.
The muscles of the body become less supple as a person ages, their joints and hearts are also less able to handle sudden strenuous physical activities.
Sudden activity in older people, in some cases, has produced heart attacks because the body was not ready for the level of activity required of it.
Warming up properly is essential.
Any activity, which causes a heart rate increase, can be used.
You can walk, jog, or use machines such as a bicycle or rowing machine.
Start at an easy pace and then slowly increase the pace until your heart rate and body temperature begins to rise.
When doing a warm up exercise it is important to keep in mind the fitness level you are at, a warm up exercise is designed to prepare the body, not necessarily be the entire workout.
The idea is to become energized, not exhausted.
You will want to work up a light sweat generally 3-5 minutes of activity though it may be more if you are working in a cooler environment.
After this point, you will want to stretch out your muscles.
Stretching helps to develop flexibility and is generally focused in the back, shoulders, and hips.
The type of stretching you do should coincide with the type of activity you are planning to do.
If you are planning to participate in a sport than the stretching should mimic activities done while playing the sport.
Martial arts, for example, may involve light sparring or simply running through the movements at a slower pace.
It is important to make sure that all major muscle groups are stretched for a minimum of eight seconds.
It is also important to keep your feet moving in order to prevent blood from pooling in the legs and feet.
Keep in mind that stretching should only be done once muscles have been warmed up.
It is also important to remember that bouncing should not be done when stretching.
It can lead to a muscle tear or pull.
For those who primarily lift weights, as a form of exercise, after the initial warm up you should load your bar with approximately 50-60% of the maximum weight you are planning to lift during that session and then perform repetitions.
These repetitions should mimic the ones you are planning to do with your maximum session weight.
They should also be done the same number of times.
After you complete this initial warm up increase the weight to between 80 and 90% and reduce the repetitions to two or three times.
Rest for approximately 30 seconds then repeat, once this is completed you should be ready to move on to your maximum session weight.
The advantage of this technique is that your maximum session weight will not be as difficult to lift and will put considerably less strain on your body.
Once warm up and stretching exercises and the main workout or activity is completed it is time for the final step.
This step is the cool down.
Muscles pool blood and block oxygen from reaching vital areas when activities, especially strenuous ones like exercise are stopped.
It can potentially cause serious life threatening conditions such as heart attacks.
Cooling down should be given the same importance as warm up exercises for this reason.
Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
Remember to take the necessary steps to ensure that you get the most out of your workout and maintain your health and wellbeing.