Why should you never skip the warm-up before exercise? Cold muscles do not function efficiently, which results in a decreased ability to absorb shock and impact and makes the body more susceptible to injury. A suitable warm up safely prepares the body for the increased stress of exercise by gradually raising your heart rate and getting your muscles ready for activity by increasing circulation, which improves mobility and performance. An activity or sport specific warm-up should be done before strength training, aerobic exercise and stretching. It is the key to exercising safely and effectively.
The Difference Between Warm-Up Exercises and Stretching
One point of clarification that should be noted is that stretching is not the same as warming-up. The confusion usually arises from the difference between the types of stretching; dynamic and static. Dynamic stretching should be included in the warm-up before activity, whereas static stretching should be after the activity. Dynamic stretching is essentially a warm-up that takes your body through motions that mimic the sport or activity without holding at the end position (we will call this a dynamic warm-up to avoid confusion). The warm-up and post activity stretches are both important for an optimal workout and to maintain good mobility and function, therefore helping to prevent injury. During warm-up exercises you are increasing your body temperature and slowly preparing your body, the working muscles, and joints for the increased demands that are to follow. When performing static stretching after activity you are focusing specifically on improving flexibility.
Benefits of Warming-Up
A warm-up reduces your risk of injury and helps to improve movement, function, efficiency and performance. Pre-existing conditions or injuries to certain areas of the body may be identified during a warm-up, and your activity should be modified based on these injuries in order to prevent further injury. A visit to a Registered Physiotherapist would be recommended to address these concerns, as activity modification alone is usually not enough for effective recovery.
Additional benefits of a warm-up
- Preparation of your muscles for more intense or quick movements
- Gradual increase of your heart rate and blood pressure
- Lubrication of your joints and decreased stiffness
- Reduction of the chance of soft tissue (ligament, tendon and muscle) injuries by allowing your muscles and joints to move through a greater range of motion easier
- Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making the muscles more mobile and efficient
- Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles
- Improved coordination and reaction times
- Promotion of hormonal changes in the body responsible for regulating energy production
- Preparation mentally and physically for exercise
BodyTech Dynamic Warm-Up for Runners
- Hip swings – While holding onto something stable for support, swing one leg forward and backwards and then repeat. Keep your core strong and your back straight. Perform the move 10 times each side.
- Hip circles – Standing with your feet hip width apart and your hands on your hips, rotate one hip by lifting your foot and bending your knee and moving your hip in a clockwise circle, and then counter clockwise ten times with each leg.
- Walking lunges – Step forward with your right leg into a lunge position, dropping your back knee towards the ground. Make sure your front knee does not come in front or your ankle. Push yourself straight up by using your right leg to lift you. Then step forward with the left leg to repeat the same action. Perform the lunges in a slow and flowing motion, taking 10 steps forward.
- Lateral Lunge – Start with good posture and your feet wider than your shoulders. From there, squat your hips down and over to the right while keeping your left leg straight. Keeping your feet flat on the ground, use your right glute to push you up to your starting position. Repeat on the left side and do 10 total.
- Butt Kicks – Walk forward slowly while kicking your heels in towards your glutes for a total of 20 kicks (10 per leg).
- High Kicks – With your body tall, walk forward while lifting your legs straight in front of you. Do not bend your knees. Do it 10 times on each side.
- Marching on the spot – 15-30 seconds.
- Jogging on the spot – 15-30 seconds.
- A proper warm-up should be done before any exercise session or participation in physical activity regardless of how long that activity will be. A warm-up should be done before cardio, weight lifting, or stretching (yoga).
- A warm-up should aim to gradually increase your heart rate over a 5-10 minute period. Start at a slow pace and gradually increase to match the activity. Be sure to include all the large muscle groups of the body.
- Your warm-up should last at least 5-10 minutes. The higher the intensity of the activity, the longer the warm-up should be (or slightly longer in cold weather).
- The warm-up can be a low intensity, low impact version of the workout you are about to do. Or it can be a set of exercises that mimic the motions of the sport or activity. For more serious participants or athletes, the latter option is recommended. The warm-up should always increase your heart rate and warm up the muscles that will be used during the activity.
An activity specific warm up should always be included as a part of your workout and only takes a few minutes to ensure your body performs optimally. This essential part of injury prevention is something every runner and athlete should make part of their routine. Stay tuned for the second part of our running injury prevention series as we cover the stretches you should do after your run.