You’re committed to a workout program, even though you have to squeeze exercise into a busy schedule. To save time, you skip the warm-up portion of your workout – the main set is more important anyway, right? Or perhaps you’re late to an exercise class, so you jump right in with what everyone is doing once you arrive. Is a warm-up really necessary?
Absolutely…and here are some important reasons why – plus some suggestions for what constitutes a good warm-up.
A warm-up serves three basic purposes:
- To improve your performance during the primary activity
- To prevent injuries
- To prepare you mentally for the upcoming activity
Improve Performance
When you’re relaxed, sitting in a chair or in your car, only about 15 to 20% of your total blood flow is going to your skeletal muscles. The tiny blood vessels within those muscles (called capillaries) are closed up tight at this point. But after 10 minutes or so of total body exercise during a warm-up, blood flow to your muscles revs up to 70% or more, and the capillaries open up.
As blood flow increases, so does muscle temperature. When muscles are warmer, the hemoglobin in your blood releases more oxygen. More oxygen available to working muscles means more energy production.
Warmer muscles also contract and relax more quickly, so they work more efficiently. The result is better performance in any physical activity – from an abs workout to Zumba.
Injury Prevention
Scientific studies linking warming up with injury prevention show that it takes much more force to injure a muscle that has gone through a warm-up than one that hasn’t.
Anecdotally, serious muscle tears happen more often when muscles are cold, i.e. not warmed up. Warm muscles, with their greater blood flow and improved contraction/relaxation response, are simply less likely to tear or strain, especially when the primary exercise activity begins.
Mental Preparation
It’s important to “get your head in the game” before exercise – no matter what you’re planning to do. Mental preparation can improve technique, skill, and coordination by getting you focused on what you’re about to do.
Performing warm-up activities signals your brain that it’s time to get going. Especially when preparing for a challenging interval workout, or even a race, a mental warm-up gets your mind ready to endure discomfort.
When the mind is ready, the body will follow. But if the mind is unwilling, physical performance will also be limited.
What Constitutes a Good Warm-up?
While there are no hard and fast rules for warming up, you should correlate your warm-up activities with the upcoming primary exercises. 10 to 20 minutes of warm-up time is a good measure, but it’s important to consider your own fitness level and ability as well.
Interestingly, those with high fitness levels often need more time to warm up before high intensity workouts or short races. Those who are less conditioned may need less time, because heart rate increases more rapidly in response to activity.
Avoid static stretching
Static stretching – where you hold a stretch for a length of time – should not be part of a warm-up routine. Static stretching when a muscle is cold (see above) could pull or even tear the muscle or connective tissue. Instead, perform dynamic movements that take the muscle through its range of motion. Save the static stretches for the cool-down instead. Read more about the types of stretching here.
An effective warm-up
Begin with movements that slowly raise the heart rate to a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 5 or 6 out of 10. Try brisk walking, knee lifts, jumping jacks, jump rope, etc. for about 5 minutes. Then perform muscle movements at lower intensities that mimic the upcoming activity.
For example, a strength training warm-up could include some body weight squats, pushups from the knees, overhead side reaches, and diagonal lunges. A beginner runner warming up for a 3 mile run could do form drills like skips, butt-kicks and walking lunges, then start with run/walk intervals of 30 seconds to 1 minute.
If you arrive late to an exercise class already in progress, follow along with the group, but keep the intensity down until your body is fully warmed up and prepared for the activity. Honestly, no one’s paying attention to what you’re doing…and if they are, they’ll respect you for your exercise savvy!
So be sure to include a warm-up before every exercise session, no matter what you plan to do, and you’ll get a more effective workout with a lower risk of injury.
About the Author
Laurie Kelly, CPT, RYT-200 is the owner of Dragonfly Drishti Yoga. Formerly a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach with Dragonfly Fitness and Nutrition Coaching, she made the switch to focus exclusively on yoga and ayurveda. She now teaches others how to incorporate yoga, ayurveda and mindfulness practices into their daily lives, and thereby reach their personal wellness and life goals. Contact her here.