5 Reasons Why Warm Up Exercises Are Important!
The importance of warm-up exercises should be considered by anybody who works out. Although warm–ups probably won’t help much with burning calories or building muscle, they’re crucial to the success of a workout! Before you even think about doing any sort of exercise, you ought to make sure you complete a warm up and do a few stretches – but what makes them so important?
1 . They help to increase body and muscle temperature
A good warm-up will raise your body temperature, which is particularly helpful to your muscles. As your muscle temperature increases, oxygen becomes more available to your muscles, allowing them to contract and relax more easily – so you’ll be able to perform more strenuous tasks with ease. Your heart is also given a chance to prepare, meaning it won’t be too strained during your workout.
2 . You’ll reduce your risk of injury
The last thing you need when you’ve been faithfully attending an exercise class or going to the gym and reaching your goals is to become injured. Warming up will improve muscle elasticity and allow for efficient cooling, meaning less chance of accidentally hurting yourself or overheating during your workout and ruining your day!
3. They can help you to mentally prepare
Jumping straight into a workout without being adequately prepared can throw you off completely, especially if the preparation is mental rather than physical. It’s easy to give up when working out gets difficult, but you’ll be much less likely to do so if you’ve given yourself time to remember why you’re working out. Use your time warming up to think about what you’re about to do, guaranteeing that both your body and mind will be ready to succeed.
4. You’ll increase your flexibility, which will help with other exercise
Stretching is often considered something that should be done in addition to regular warm–ups. Stretching will increase blood flow to your muscles, and allow your body to increase its flexibility in both the short and long-term – always a plus when it comes to properly performing a workout. Stretch after you’ve already completed your warm up, as stretching when your muscles aren’t properly warm can lead to injury.
5. You’ll be ready to tackle more strenuous exercise
Building muscle is a great way to spend time when exercising, but muscles shouldn’t be used before you’ve had a chance to loosen your joints! Warming up will ensure that both your body and mind are in the right state to handle the workouts, again reducing your risk of injury.
As well as a good warm-up, workout preparation should also involve ensuring that you have suitable equipment for the exercises you’ll be doing. Fitness PILATES, for example, can be enhanced by the use of accessories such as the mini-ball, resistance bands and light weights.
Popular warm-up exercises you might like to try include jogging or marching on the spot for several minutes, or even simply performing your workout at a much slower pace to prepare your body. For your stretches, try static stretching, which involves stretching a muscle slowly and holding it in place for up to thirty seconds.
The benefits of warming up are evident, and warm ups will help you to achieve your goals at the gym; it’s therefore clear that warm-up exercises should not be overlooked by gymgoers at any level. Once you’ve prepared your body and mind and done some stretching, you’ll be ready to make the most of your workout!
In the video below you will see a typical warm-up sequence that we use in our Fitness PILATES classes in Totton and Calmore, near Southampton, details of which can be found here, including times, dates, venues and prices. - these moves vary each class, but are designed to mobilise and prepare joints and muscles for the work ahead, so please feel free to use the ones shown before you complete a fuller workout.