Warm up consists of:

• Light physical activities which are performed to raise heart rate and literally make muscles warmer.

• Joint mobility exercises and light stretching exercises which help to increase the range of motion in joints and reduce the risk of injuries.

• Sports specific exercises. A sprinter performs light sprinting exercises, a javelin thrower will perform light shoulder and back exercises etc.

Importance of warm-up

Never skip warm-ups. Warm-up concentrates on the main muscle groups, stretches them and actually warms muscles up. Warm-up is vital to loosen tense muscles and prevent injuries. The range of motion in your joints will increase, your heart rate will stabilize and you will be ready for the real workout.

Warm-up guidelines

There are different methods to warm up properly, but they all follow these three rules:

• Warm-up routine should include all body parts and main muscle groups or at least the muscle group which will be used in the specific training routine or activity.

• Never perform exercises before you have properly warmed up your body.

• You shouldn’t do any stretching while your muscles are cold. Stretching exercises should be performed after or during the warm-up routine and in the end of your workout.

Note

There are different ways to warm up your body – jumping rope, light jogging or full three step warm-up routine. I suggest you to do a full warm-up routine, because it will get your body all warmed up without skipping any body parts, unlike jogging and other similar activities. There are three steps you have to complete to get your body warmed up properly.

1. Get your heart rate up

Start with light running and jumping. You can do jumping jacks or any similar exercise. But don't overdo it. These exercises are supposed to be light. Since leg muscles are the biggest and most powerful muscles in human body the aforementioned exercises will work well to warm you up. You can also do few squatting exercises. Basic stuff - prisoner squats, lunges etc.

2. Warm-up exercises for joints

Continue your warm-up with low intensity exercises targeted to joints. Go from the top to bottom. Start with neck circling and light side to side neck stretching. Work yourself down to shoulders, elbows and wrists. Use circular motions back and fourth. Each motion should be performed for 20 to 40 repetitions. When you have finished with your arms continue with hip and torso circling and move further down to your legs and feet.

3. Specialized warm-up exercises

When your heart rate is up you can concentrate more on warming up the muscles you will be using in the particular training routine. A sprinter will warm his legs up, an archer will warm his arms and torso up etc. It doesn’t matter if you are planning to go for a run, lift weights or go bike riding there are some muscles you should never skip – your core region. Few static and crunching exercises will work well. Just remember to leave the hard exercises for the real workout.

Core muscles are involved in almost every single movement your body makes. They help to maintain balance, help to perform explosive movements, strengthen and protect spine and internal organs. Some of the best warm-up exercises for core region are cat-camel, bird-dog and plank variations.

The video below shows a basic warm-up routine. Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise.

Benefits of warm-up exercises:

• Improved muscle performance

• Decreased risk of getting injuries

• Increased muscle metabolism

• Gets you mentally ready for the competition or workout

What does a warm-up do?

• Increases heart rate

• Expands capillaries, so that blood and oxygen can travel mutch faster through them

• Increases joint mobility

• Increases the speed of nerve impulses

• Releases adrenalin

• Increases the energy supply in the body

• Increases the speed of muscle contractions

• Loosens tense muscles

Note

Sometimes when you are short on time but want to squeeze a little workout in your schedule you shouldn't rush and start to lift weights or do pull-ups. Instead complete your warm-up routine. You will benefit more from doing only warm-up exercises and stretching than rushing straight to exercises and risking to get injuries.