Warming up: Is it necessary?
A proper warm-up is something I regularly discuss with my clients. It isn’t a discussion exclusive to my elite athletes, either. All of my clients are active individuals, athletes in their own right. They get the same counsel as the elite athlete; it is simply the nature of the warm-up that differs. Read on to get some of the basics about this topic. Learning the what and why will motivate you to execute the how.
What is a warm up?
A warm up is a series of movements meant to improve your muscle function and prepare them for the demands of an activity.
Why should you warm up?
Warming up has several physiological effects that have the potential to not only improve your performance, but also to decrease your risk of muscular/tendinous injury.
Here are a few of those physiological effects:
1. Muscles become less viscous (gooey, slimy, syrupy) – this results in smoother muscular contractions
2. Muscle temperature increases with a complimentary increase in blood flow – this results in a series of benefits to your preparedness for activity
3. Nerve transmission speed is hastened – this paves the way for improved reaction times
Smoother, warmer, and more reactive muscle function! Seems like a pretty good investment of time if you want to get the most out of your work out or perform at your best. But remember - as I mentioned above - it’s equally as important to warm up for a busy and active day. Whether you are managing kids or a hectic job, you need your body to support you optimally. Warming up for your day will help you decrease risk for common daily life injuries like back strains and ankle sprains.
How should you warm up?
For those who are into the nitty gritty geeky details, warm up intensity should be in the range of 40-60% of your VO2max. However, if you’re like most of us, you want the laymen’s interpretation, which is this: light to mild sweating without fatigue. The activities you choose should activate the muscles you will be using most and mimic the movements of that activity. This is why you might see runners doing skipping, butt-kicker, and high knees drills as a warm up. Another example is air squats and air deadlifts for a weight lifter. But as I mentioned above, it is equally as important for the walking, hiking, and chasing-after-a-two-year-old athletes to warm-up. Good warm-up options for these types of activities are air squats, standing marches, mini lunges, calf raises, wall planks and push ups.
When & how long should you warm up?
Ideally, within 10-15 minutes of the activity for which you are preparing. If you are warming up for life, first thing in the morning before you pick up the pace of the day is the best time. To work up the light to mild sweat, you’ll need to dedicate about 8-10 minutes.
Here are the simple takeaways:
-choose 3-5+ movements that mimic the activity(ies) you will be doing
-do those 3-5+ movements continuously until you begin to sweat ever so slightly
-continue the circuit for 8-10 minutes
-then get to to your activity with the peace of mind that you are improving your outcome and decreasing your injury risk!
If you want some ideas on warm-up exercises specific to your activity, let me know! I’m more than happy to post some ideas!