Importance Of Warming Up Before Workouts

Have you ever tried to start your car when it has been out in cold for a long while? If you have then you probably know that more often than not it doesn't start as soon as you turn on the ignition. After several attempts, your engine roars to life. If you consider your body, you will find that it's no different either! Your body doesn't take to activity too well, after you have been in rest for a long while. Thus, before exercising it is important that you warm up in order to make your body receptive to the activity that is to follow.

Warming up is something that you may ignore at your own peril. Here are some vital reasons for warming up before exercise.

1. Several changes take place in your body when you are working out. Your respiratory rates, blood circulation, heart rates etc, all tend to shoot up. Warming up ensures that this increase is gradual and not something that happens all of a sudden.

2. Warming up prepares your nervous system and loosens your muscles and joints for the impending strenuous exercises. If your muscles and joints are relaxed then there are minimal chances of an injury in course of working out.

3. Warming up is particularly important for elderly people, who have weak joints and tissues. They might also face heart attacks if they start exercising all of a sudden.

4. People who are new to exercise must also try to warm up in order to prevent any injuries because their bodies are absolutely unaccustomed to workouts.

So, how can you warm up properly?

The key is to engage in activities that can cause your heart to beat faster. So, you might,

Walk, jog or run at a limited speed.

Use cardio equipment such as rowing machines and bicycles.

Start at a slow pace and then increase the intensity of the warm ups, until your heart rate increases and body temperature rises. You should know your current fitness levels so that you can do warm ups that don't leave you exhausted. After all, you must retain enough energy to do the actual exercises afterwards!

After you have built up a light sweat with 5 minutes or perhaps longer if you are warming up in a cold environment, do some stretching. Stretching is a vital component of warming up because it helps to make the muscles flexible. The muscles of the hip, spine and shoulders must be made flexible before exercising in order to prevent injuries.
Stretching must involve,

Movement of legs so as to prevent blood from pooling into them

Flexing of the major muscle groups (mentioned above) for at least 8 seconds

Flexing of warmed up muscles only

A fitness trainer might be the right person to decide how you should warm up. Depending on your age, general health and fitness goals, he or she can tell you what should comprise your warm up sessions and how long should they last. Just remember that the combination of a fitness trainer and warm ups before exercise can be really helpful for achieving all your fitness goals!

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