Importance of Warming-up Your Body

Monday, August 19, 2013

Importance of Warming-up Your Body

Why is warm-up important? Why should you warm-up before any workout plan or active sport? It helps prepare your body physically and mentally for high-intensity as well as high-volume physical activities. Warm-up lowers the risk of injury too. It should be started with mild-intensity aerobic exercises and/or exercises, which raise the range of motion (ROM) of the joints. Then, it may be increased in intensity gradually until the person is prepared for more vigorous activities. The intensity of warm-up should be low and should not exhaust the particular person. Usually, warm-up lasts for about five to twenty minutes. Normal warm-up raises the body temperature in about one to two degrees of Fahrenheit.

Joint ROM improves the flexibility and includes exercises such as mild stretching, sport-specific drills, and dynamic calisthenics.

Warm-up can be done passively or actively. Passive warm-up increases the body temperature without exercises. It includes heat application, hot shower or water immersion, massage, or a sauna. Active warm-up is done via exercises. Both types raise the body temperature efficiently and improve physical performance than to no warm-up. However, active warm-up causes better short-term performance and reduces the fatigability compared to passive warm-up.

It is not good to stretch before warming-up because, your cold muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints are more likely to be injured. Therefore, any workout or active sport should be preceded by warm-up and stretching thereafter.

Effects of warm-up

Increased blood supply, specially to the muscles and the lungs.
Increased body temperature, including muscles.
Increased rate of metabolic reactions in the body.
Increased heart rate and the performance of the heart.
Increased release of oxygen from haemoglobin and myoglobin to the peripheral tissues, including muscles.
Increased nerve activation and the performance of the nervous system, improving the reaction times and coordination.
Increased muscle glycogen breakdown and glycolysis.
Increased oxygen usage of the body.
Decreased muscle and joint or connective tissue viscosity as well as resistance.
Decreased aches and pains during and after physical activities.
Increased psychological functions and preparedness.