Think back to your PE days. (Sorry, I don’t mean to bring up bad memories but…..)
Was there a single day that you didn’t warm up?
I remember my gym teacher always having us run a few laps around the gym or do some high energy jumpy routine. It got our hearts pumping and muscles warm.
But why is warming up important?
How to warm someone up is one of the first things you learn when training to be a personal trainer and we all seem to intrinsically know it’s a good thing to do.
I’ll be the first to admit I don’t actually warm up before heading out the door for a run. Like ever.
Stretching afterward? Yes. Warming up? Ehhhh….
Stretching and warming up are actually quite different (and you should technically never stretch when you’re cold #oops). Warming up has a bunch of advantageous and important effects:
+ it loosens joints and improves circulation (more blood = better recovery)
+ injury prevention (the less stiff you are, the less your chance of messing something up is)
+ there’s a psychological effect too; it gives you time to mentally prepare (like visualising reaching the top of your hike or that game winning goal)
Warming up is all about easing your body into the idea of, well, moving.
Even just 5 to 20 minutes of a brisk walk can be a great warm-up. If you’re on a treadmill, you can also raise the incline to get a bit of variety (you should also never be running on a flat treadmill but that’s for another post…).
Do you take time to warm up? What’s your routine?