Why You Are Cheating Yourself by Not Warming Up Before Working Out

Have you ever wondered why you should warm up before working out? Warm ups are important because they raise body temperature and prepare the body for intense workouts. They help increase metabolism and stimulate nerves throughout the body, ensuring that you can perform the tasks at hand. There are three types of warm ups that should be performed. First is an all body warm up, followed by warming up a specific body part, and warm ups that are geared towards a particular exercise. It is important to use a combination of all three warm-ups during your training sessions.

When you warm up before exercise, you will derive greater benefits from your workout. Additionally, warm ups prevent the body from becoming strained or injured during exercise as it helps the body make a smooth transition from a passive state to an active one. As you warm up, your body temperature increases and your circulation is enhanced. This enables each muscle group to perform better. In return, you will have a more efficient workout that translates to better results in less time.

Warm ups help prepare the cardiovascular system for the work that it is going to perform; therefore, they should never be avoided. Before working out, everyone should warm up the entire body, getting the heart rate up as it prepares for greater physical demands. A general warm up should last between five and ten minutes. When warming up, it is important to remember that you do not need to execute each movement at full intensity. Warm ups are to prepare for the greater work that lies ahead, and should be gentler movements, performed at a fraction of the intensity reserved for your workout.

No matter what type of exercise you are going to perform, taking the time to ensure that each muscle is properly warmed up will prevent injuries and increase your range of motion. Stretching is an important aspect of the warm up, but it is also advisable to use weights for exercise related warm ups. If you are going to be lifting weights, then warming those muscles before reaching peak intensity is a wise idea. The pyramid or stacking method is an effective way to prepare your muscles for more challenging work. Choose to use weights that are approximately forty percent of the weight you will use during peak training for your warm ups. Never exhaust or strain yourself during warm ups. These movements are solely for preparing the body for high levels of intense training. By properly warming up, you will see greater results and prevent injuries.

It is very important to do a warm down when you are done with your exercises. After a long run it is good to jog slowly or walk briskly for a short distance. This allows your muscles to slowly relax. You should try to avoid just sitting down or lying down without a warm down. That could cause your muscles to cramp up. Both warming up and warming down is a vital part of working out and should be a part of every exercise you do.