The Warm Up and Cool Down

Warming up and cooling down correctly are two of the most important things you can do in a gym. Not only are they essential for their injury preventing qualities, but they also serve to increase flexibility, increase the intensity and volume of weights lifted and speed up recovery time from the workout. So why is it that countless times in the gym I see people ignoring the warm up and jumping straight into a heavy set?

Others do 5 minutes on a treadmill, one 'lighter' set and some static stretches and then lunge into a full weights session. This is both an inefficient way to start your workout and the fast track to injury.

So why should we warm up before training?
An efficient warm up had been proved to facilitate a better workout in numerous ways, such as:

·         Shortened response times and increased contractile speed in muscle fibres

·         More energy efficient contractions, due to the lower viscosity of warmed muscles that cause resistance to muscular force production

·         Reduction of muscle stiffness thus reducing the chance of injury

·         Greater oxygen uptake into myoglobin due to haemoglobin releasing oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures

Read the rest after the jump!

Why is it important to warm up before exercise?

A warm up is the act of preparing for an athletic event or workout by exercising or practicing for a short time beforehand. Warming up helps reduce your risk of injury and the aches and pains that come with exercise. The physiological reason to warm up is to assist your circulatory system in pumping oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles. The idea is to increase circulation throughout the body in a gradual manner. A proper warm up safely prepares the body for the increased demands of exercise. Cold muscles do not absorb shock or impact as well, and are more susceptible to injury.

A warm-up helps you prepare both mentally and physically for exercise and reduces the chance of injury. During a warm up, any injury or illness you have can often be recognised, and further injury prevented. Other benefits of a proper warm up include:

• Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making the muscles more pliable.
• Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. This prevents you from getting out of breath early or too easily.
• Prepares your muscles for stretching.
• Prepares your heart for an increase in activity, preventing a rapid increase in blood pressure.
• Prepares you mentally for the upcoming exercise.
• Primes your nerve-to-muscle pathways to be ready for exercise.
• Improved coordination and reaction times.

A low impact exercise, such as biking or walking or using an elliptical or rowing machine (my favourite for moderate warm up) is the best way to warm up.