Why You Should Warm Up Before Training

Many people skip out on a warm-up routine before they get to the gym. They think that it’s unnecessary and not worth it, but that’s not true. An effective warm-up routine can help you prevent injury and increase your flexibility, which is helpful for almost everyone. Warming up is a great way to get your muscles ready for what’s to come. A proper pre-workout routine can reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) by as much as 30%. If you want to avoid any potential injuries from hitting the weights hard and fast, then a proper warmup is for you!

What Is A Warm-Up?

A warm-up is a series of lower-intensity exercises that are meant to increase your blood flow and get your muscles ready for the activity to come. It is important to remember that not every activity requires a warm-up, as there are some activities in which you can just get up and start without any warm-up at all. It is generally recommended to perform a few light exercises (at about 30 seconds per activity), to get your blood flowing and muscles ready for the activity that is to come. This may vary depending on the activity, but this is a general guideline. Unlike what you might think, if you don’t warm up, you aren’t warming up. You are just getting ready to get ready! You are not preparing your muscles for the workout they are going to receive. When you don’t warm up, you may be causing unnecessary injury both to your muscles and your joints.

Benefits Of A Warm-Up Routine

The major benefits of a warm-up are as follows:

- Stretch and loosen tight muscles: If you’re in the gym to get a serious sweat on, you’ve got to start your routine with a few light exercises that get your muscles loosened up, ready to receive the heavier weights that are coming next. A proper warm-up can help decrease the chance of injuring yourself by increasing your flexibility, which is beneficial for almost everyone.

 - Increase range of motion:  Many exercises focus on a specific muscle group, and without a warm-up, you are not stretching your muscles out enough to get the full range of motion. This can lead to too many injuries, and maybe even missed exercises. 

- Get your blood flowing: A proper warm-up can help to get your blood circulating through your muscles, which prepares them for hard work. If you don’t warm up, you aren’t allowing your muscles to get the oxygen they need to function properly. 

- Get your muscles warmed up: This one is a bit obvious, but it’s important to warm up your muscles before the activity so that they aren’t cold when you are trying to work them to the max. A proper warm-up can help you work out for longer periods before your muscles start to feel fatigued.

How To Do A Proper Warm-Up Routine

- Start light - Your warm-up routine should start very lightly and slowly. Many people skip this and go straight into a heavier activity, which causes too much damage and makes you feel like you have run a marathon when you have only been out for a few minutes.

 - Move your joints - To keep your joints lubricated and prepared, it is important to move them at the beginning of your warm-up routine. You can do this by simply shaking your arms and shaking out your legs.

 - Increase intensity - Now that your joints are moving, you should be able to increase the intensity of your movements. This should be done gradually so that you don’t injure yourself.

 - Finish light and easy - Once your muscles feel ready to rest, you can finish off your routine with a few light exercises that are easy and relaxed. This can help to calm you down and prepare you for the rest of the day.

Conclusion

Warm up before you work out can help prevent injuries and increase flexibility, which is helpful for almost everyone. If you don’t warm up, you aren’t warming up, you are just getting ready to get ready. A proper warm-up can help to get your blood flowing, loosen your muscles and get your muscles warmed up for the workout. There are many different kinds of warm-ups and routines, so it’s important to identify what works best for you. You need to find out what helps you to get the most out of your warm-up routine. You can also get help from NutriFitt to get some instructions and useful tips.