Warming up is vital for a good workout
There is no good workout without a good warm-up. It’s that simple. Even if you’re in a hurry, skipping your warm-up exercises before your workout session is never a good idea. Getting the best results from your fitness training depends on having warmed up properly.
Warm-up exercises endow you with greater flexibility by loosening up your muscles. They make you faster, and set the stage for more efficient workouts by enabling you to do more with the same amount of effort. Warming up also protects you from sore muscles, aches and pains, and of course, injuries.
Then there’s the psychological benefits. Warming up centers you. It gets your mind focused on your body and energy, preparing you for the physical effort needed during your training session.
Yet despite how crucial warm-up exercises are for your workout session, many people don’t do it. They jump straight into their routine, thereby limiting their potential while opening themselves to getting hurt, without even knowing it.
What’s the best way to warm up?
Now that you understand how important it is to warm up before a workout, let’s look at how you should go about doing it.
Firstly, warming up should last between 5 and 10 minutes. That’s the optimal amount of time to loosen up your body and get ready for the real deal. You also want to make sure to warm up the muscles that you’re actually going to use during your workout, otherwise you’re wasting your time.
For example, if today’s session focuses on your legs, your warm-up could consist of a few minutes on the treadmill, followed by some squats. For yoga or pilates, an effective warm-up would involve light neck movements and back stretches to relax your spine and other joints soon to get exercised.
No matter what type of exercise you plan on doing during your fitness session, warming up is the only way to ease yourself into it and get the most out of an intense workout. To find out the best way to warm up for every type of workout, have a look at our Basic-Fit app, or ask one of our personal trainers for advice.
