With proper warm ups, your summer workouts can remain injury free.
Why Warm Up?
Before you go for a morning run or tackle your strength training session, don’t forget to include one critical step: a warm up.
Implementing a warm up into your pre-exercise routine has many benefits, including:
- Decreased risk of injury
- Mental and physical preparation for exercise
- Better performance
- Gradual increase of the heart rate, blood flow, and oxygen in your muscles
How to Warm Up
There are many warm up options before your exercise that can be tailored to your workout or what feels best for your body. Incorporate stretching, regardless of the kind of workout, to help increase oxygen flow to the muscles and prevent injury. Try to hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds. Then walk briskly, go up and down stairs, jog in place, or do a few lunges and squats. The warm up should take between five to 10 minutes to complete, or consider a longer warm up depending on the intensity of the workout.
Cool Down
While warm ups help increase the heart rate and blood flow before working out, a cool down is just as important for preventing injury. Cool downs help gradually decrease your heart rate, further prevent injury by stretching out worked muscles, and help prevent soreness. Ultimately, incorporating a warm up and cool down into your workout routine will help your body prepare and recover from a workout, as well as reduce the risk of injury.
An Expert Weighs In
Meet the Author
Kristen Dee, BS, MA, Summa Cum Laude
Kristen Dee is a graduate of Winthrop University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in integrated marketing communications, with the distinction of Magna Cum Laude and IMC Student of the Year. Following Winthrop, Kristen earned a Master of Arts in Communication from Wake Forest University. Prior to joining CMC Publications as editor, Kristen successfully fulfilled roles involving internal corporate communications. Today, Kristen leads ideation, conceptualization, and development of numerous health, wellness, and lifestyle articles published in print and online for HealthScope, CityScope, and Choose Chattanooga magazines – premier publications serving S.E. Tennessee and North Georgia.
