How to Properly Warm Up Before Working Out

By now, you probably understand the importance of stretching or warming up. Jumping right into a workout sounds like a recipe for disappointment at best and injury at worst. If you only do a couple of toe touches before getting under the barbell, you might not be warming up properly or as optimally as you should. How does one warm up properly before a workout and what should you do? Let’s take a closer look.

The Difference Between Stretching and Warming Up

Static stretching, such as touching your toes and holding for 10 seconds, is much different than dynamic stretching or warmup exercises. Although you’ve maybe done it your whole life, static stretching “cold muscles” is not the best way to get ready.

Your muscles and the fibers that make them up are almost like rubber bands and need gentle movement to help them stretch and warm up. Static stretching can put a lot of stress on your muscle fibers too quickly, essentially defeating the purpose of priming them for action. Dynamic stretching (moving your body through a range of motions) and warmup exercises are ideal and help to increase the temperature, making your muscles more pliable and ready for the workout.

Basic Warmup Exercises

An effective warmup will slightly elevate your heart rate, put your joints and muscles through their full range of motion and get your blood moving. Think of warming up like a mini yet enjoyable workout before the workout—a fitness pregame of sorts. When you show up to the workout with your track pants on and ready to go, try any combination of these warmup exercises and activities.

· Jump rope for 2 to 3 minutes.

· Jumping jacks with good form

· Bodyweight squats

· Lunges

· Hip extensions

· Forward and side leg swings

· Arm circles

· Hip rotations

· Anything that involves dynamic movement

Your warmup doesn’t need to take up half the workout, but you should definitely make it a priority. It might not seem like much, but just going through a few of these dynamic exercises can do wonders for recovery, injury prevention and your overall performance.

Customize the Warmup to Your Workout

While there are a few basic warmup exercises that work for just about any routine, it’s important to customize your routine to fit the workout. For example, while runners will focus on their ankle mobility, weightlifters might care more about opening up their hips for squats. Whether you work out in basketball shoes, running shoes or do a little bit of everything in cross training shoes, prioritize the muscles and joints you use the most in your routine. If you can stay consistent, you should feel better throughout the workout and hopefully perform even better too.

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Original Source: https://bit.ly/3uQC3yB