Warm-up in fitness

Main thing

A warm-up is a short period of light exercise done before more intense physical activity to prepare the body and mind for the workout ahead. It involves gradually increasing your heart rate, breathing rate, blood flow to your muscles, as well as loosening your joints and muscles. Warming up provides several key benefits: increased flexibility and range of motion, reduced risk of injury, improved performance, better muscle activation, and helping you ease into your workout mentally.

Warm-up exercises typically include light aerobic activities like brisk walking, jogging, jumping jacks, etc. as well as dynamic stretches that mimic the movements you'll be doing during your workout.

Terms

• Aerobic exercise: Any type of cardiovascular conditioning that increases your heart rate and breathing rate, such as jogging, cycling, or swimming.

• Dynamic stretching: Active movements that take your muscles and joints through their full range of motion, such as lunges, arm circles, or leg swings. These stretches are performed in a controlled manner and are not held in a static position.

• Static stretching: A type of stretching where you hold a position for a certain period, typically 10-30 seconds, to lengthen the muscle and improve flexibility. This type of stretching is best done after a workout when your muscles are warm.

An analogy

Think of your body as a car on a cold winter morning. You wouldn't just start the engine and immediately drive off at high speed. Instead, you'd let the car warm up for a few minutes to allow the oil to circulate and the engine to reach its optimal operating temperature. Similarly, a warm-up prepares your body for the demands of exercise by gradually increasing your heart rate, breathing rate, and blood flow to your muscles.

A main misconception

Many people believe that stretching before a workout is the same as warming up. However, static stretching (holding a stretch for a prolonged period) before exercise can actually decrease muscle strength and performance. Instead, a proper warm-up should include light aerobic activity and dynamic stretching, which involves moving your muscles and joints through their full range of motion.

The history

1. Ancient times: Athletes in ancient Greece and Rome recognized the importance of preparing their bodies for competition through various warm-up techniques.

2. 1930s: The concept of warming up before exercise gained popularity in the Western world, with athletes and coaches incorporating light calisthenics and stretching into their routines.

3. 1960s-1970s: Research began to emerge on the physiological effects of warming up, leading to a better understanding of its benefits for performance and injury prevention.

4. 1980s-1990s: Dynamic stretching gained prominence as an alternative to static stretching before exercise, based on research showing its superior effects on performance.

5. 2000s-present: Warm-up routines have become increasingly specialized and tailored to specific sports and activities, with a focus on functional movements and sport-specific drills.

Three cases how to use it right now

1. Before a morning jog: Start with 5 minutes of brisk walking, gradually increasing your pace. Then, perform dynamic stretches like leg swings, lunges, and arm circles for 3-5 minutes before beginning your jog.

2. Before a weightlifting session: Begin with 5 minutes of light cardio, such as jumping jacks or skipping rope. Follow this with dynamic stretches that target the muscles you'll be using during your workout, such as bodyweight squats, shoulder rotations, and hip circles.

3. Before a tennis match: Perform 5-10 minutes of light jogging or side shuffles to increase your heart rate. Then, do dynamic stretches that mimic tennis movements, such as trunk rotations, arm swings, and lateral lunges. Finish with a few minutes of practice serves and groundstrokes.

Interesting facts

• Warming up can improve your performance by up to 79%.

• Just 5 minutes of warming up can reduce your risk of injury by 35%.

• Your body temperature can increase by up to 2°C during a warm-up.

• Warming up can increase your flexibility by 12%, allowing for a greater range of motion during exercise.

• The ideal warm-up intensity is around 40-60% of your maximum heart rate.