We get it: Finding time to exercise can be difficult, so skipping the warm-up and cutting right to your workout can be tempting. But warming up is important for your training.
Warm-ups are built to get you going, usually, they are at about 25-50% intensity of a normal workout. Moving different joints and increasing your heart rate, as well as the body temperature, prepare you for what’s coming. Even if some warm-ups include exercises like Burpees, they should be done at an easy pace.
Let’s share the benefits of warming up and why we are including Warm-ups in each of our Training Plan sessions!
- Mental preparation
- The warm-up is part of our training ritual, as it is a rather laid-back part of the training, it helps us shift the focus from our every day life and stress to our workout… Beast mode – ON!
- Physical preparation
- A warm-up triggers certain physiological responses—including increased blood flow, respiration, and heart rate. You let the body know that it should become prepared for more explosive activity than you do while driving in your car or sitting at your desk. When there’s more blood flowing through your tissues, your muscles get more elastic and the risk of strains or tears gets lower. The additional nutrients and oxygen delivery helps your muscles to perform at their best.
- Better coordination
- When your nervous system is ready to go, it communicates better with your muscles. Clear signals over the nerve-to-muscle pathways make your movements faster, more acurate and more agile.
- Increased mobility and core strength
- Knees and Hips Rotation might look funny, but they actually prepare your joints for moving and increase their range of motion. An increased range of motion will help you move more efficiently and helps prevent injuries. Many of our warm-ups include exercises like Superman Hold or Arm and Leg Raises that are aiming at your core stability, which will help you to stay balanced and stable during your workout. Having control over your movements is another factor that reduces the risk of injuries.
- Higher efficiency
- As you are starting your workout well-prepared after a warm-up, you will be able to give your max right from the start instead of wasting the first reps for getting into the flow.