| Why Warm-up?
Why should we participate in warm-up activity anyway? Safety, injury prevention and performance enhancement top the list of reasons. A proper warm-up prepares the body's cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems for ensuing activity and exercise. By participating in light cardio activity and range of motion and stretching exercises, you'll be "priming" your body for safer and more efficient function. Your warm-up choice should mimic the movement patterns and ranges of motion that your exercise activity requires. Simply begin with a somewhat smaller amplitude of movement and at a slower speed than normal and gradually progress in terms of range of motion and speed of execution.
Raising Core Body Temperature
The object of any warm-up is to first elevate your core body temperature. This can be done via low intensity aerobic exercise like walking, easy jogging, light cycling, or performing a series of large range of motion movement patterns that involve the major muscle groups of the body (i.e. hips, legs, shoulders, etc.). The duration of such activity will vary from individual to individual, but 5-10 minutes is usually sufficient. A light "sweat" is often a good indicator that core temperature has been raised. The low intensity aerobic activity prepares your cardiopulmonary system for the upcoming activity by "waking it up" and prompting the heart and circulatory system to work at higher levels than it would at normal rest. In addition, the increased body temperature creates a more favorable environment for muscles to work with less risk of injury.
Now Stretch
We all know that flexibility is an essential component of exercise, physical fitness and sports performance. But many people are confused about when they should perform their stretching exercises. Flexibility work (i.e. stretching) is best performed following one of the above-mentioned general warm-up activities. With warm-up, the connective tissue and muscles themselves become more pliable and less resistant to stretching or quick movement.
Flexibility exercises should be performed slowly and carefully, to the point where light tension is felt in the target muscle group. As such, the muscle-tendon units are less susceptible to injury. In addition, the ability of warm muscles to contract quicker and more efficiently than cold ones, can contribute to improved physical performance. They should never be carried out to a point of pain or acute discomfort. Warm muscles can be placed in positions of stretch with greater ease than a "cold" muscle A note of caution--flexibility work, like other forms of training and activity, can be overdone.
Not everyone needs to be as flexible as a world-class gymnast or a yogi master. Determine what amount of flexibility allows you to perform the actions and movements of your sport or activity while retaining maximum joint and connective tissue stability. Excessive flexibility at the cost of stability can cause injury just as quickly as too little flexibility.
Take the Time
The entire warm-up process can be completed in 7-12 minutes depending on individual considerations. These 7-12 minutes could turn out to be the difference between a safe exercise session or a muscle strain injury, or a win or loss.
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