Why Should We warm Up?

So many misconceptions surround the simple matter of "warming up".

Why should we do it? Is there a correct way of doing it? How long should we do it? What type of stretches, if any, should we do? Everyone you speak to seems to have an opinion on these and other questions ... so I thought I'd take a bash at demistifying some of what's out there. Most of us do little more than a few token movements that achieve very little.

The overall objective of any warm up is to prepare our systems to perform at optimum efficiency. This means not just muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments ... but also our heart, blood vessels, lungs ... even our nervous system.

When we warm up correctly our muscles become more pliable. For those with an appetite for jargon ... "soft tissue viscosity" decreases, while chemical and metabolic function is enhanced.

This protects our body and prepares it for exercise that is more aggressive and more intense. It's not enough to go and sit in a warm bath ... the process needs to be active and involve muscle contraction and controlled movement that gradually increases in intensity. This creates heat and stimulates biochemical processes. We breathe a little harder, we start to perspire and our blood starts to really flow as it gets shunted to the muscles doing the work.

It is wise to start with a general warm up, carefully limbering up all your joints. I like to progress systematically through my body, ending with the body parts that will be most challenged in the "meat" of the workout. So, if I plan on focusing on my upper body, I would start with toes, ankles, knees and hips ... progressing through lumbar spine, thoracic spine and neck ... then finishing with fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders.

After maybe ten minutes, I incorporate a mild aerobic element, increasing my rate of movement to increase blood flow and improve my flexibility. I may do any combination of swings, leans, twists, easy accelerations, even shadow-boxing ... wherever my imagination takes me. This may take me only five minutes and when I feel I'm ready I will carefully introduce some dynamic stretches, swinging my arms in opposition to each other and raising my legs to the front, sides and back. I concentrate on aligning my body for minimum stress and I slowly increase my range of motion in each direction and with each repetition, tapering my effort once I reach my comfortable limit of flexibility.

Not only is the whole process gradual and therefore not unduly stressful to my body, but it also protects me from injury by increasing my body awareness. In effect, I am less prone to reckless movement, or miscalculation.

Once you have warmed up, then completed the main body of your workout, it is equally important to cool down gently. I like to think of this as "letting the bees settle" ... five to ten minutes of gradual winding down.

This respect for our body's engine allows metabolic waste and stress chemicals to dissipate more efficiently. More effective recovery translates into quicker results and better adaptation. You will actually feel less discomfort and be better prepared to get more out of subsequent workouts.

Once you appreciate this your warm up/cool down will become every bit as essential as your main routine.

Until next time ...