When fitness experts talk about ‘doing a warm up’,
they generally mean doing some kind of general activity
that gradually raises the heart rate. They will happily
tell us that doing so reduces the risk of injury during
the following workout – but don’t often explain
exactly how. In fact, a good warm-up should involve more
than just this ‘general activity’. The second,
less commonly described aspect is the ‘dynamic stretching’
we mentioned in last week’s article. And there are
many more reasons to warm up than simple injury risk reduction.HOW SHOULD I WARM UP?
The general part of the warm-up can be done in any way that
gets your heart beating faster. If you have a piece of cardio
equipment available– a bicycle, rowing machine, or
stepper – feel free to use it; or simply walk and
then jog. Whatever you use, start very gently, and gradually
increase the intensity until you can feel your body getting
warm, and your heart rate starting to rise. The specific
intensity will depend on your current fitness level –
but it should have you working at a level where you’re
energised, not exhausted.
Some people continue until they feel a light sweat, but because this can be more reflective of humidity than body temperature (and because some people sweat more easily than others), it may not be the most useful measure. Experts suggest 3-5 minutes, but if your exercise environment is particularly cold, it may need to be longer.
Once you’re feeling warm, it’s time to bring in the dynamic stretching. What you do here will depend totally on what kind of exercise you’re planning. For a martial art, it might involve light sparring at ¼ speed, or simply performing some of the techniques in slow motion. For a sport, it could involve mimicking the same kinds of movements you’ll be using on the field or court, in a slow, controlled way. There are no specific time guidelines for how long this should take – but allow enough time for repeating each movement, starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed until you’re working at the level you expect during your workout
Finally, once you’re warm, stay warm. Especially if the workout that follows will be particularly vigorous, don’t stop to do a static stretching routine. This will give your body a chance to cool down again, and undo much of the good you’ve done by warming it up in the first place. If you have any questions about either kind of warm up mentioned in this article, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz. Otherwise, may every day bring you closer to your Optimum Life.
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