Group: Beginners to Exercise

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 970, Messages: 18927

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10 Reasons To Warm Up!

Ravenbeauty
Ravenbeauty
Posts: 3,755
Joined: 2002/09/24
United States
2007/08/07, 02:42 PM
A colleague of mine at work the other came in and I saw what I have seen so many times, he was walking so stiff legged he had trouble going up and down the stairs and I knew right off what happened. No warming up! Sure enough, he started his first day with his PT at his local gym and ofcourse being like most (not all) males, he had to overdo it. It was squat day and he was hurting. So he asked me what can you do to minimize the soreness. Warm Up!!! Which brought me to this topic very important for beginners to fitness. Good luck and don't forget to warm up. :dumbbell::dumbbell:


Tempted to skip your warm up? Don't! Your warm up is an important part of your exercise routine. According to ACSM's James Peterson, Ph.D., FACSM, here are 10 vital reasons for starting out with a warm up and not taking shortcuts!


Increases degradation of oxyhemoglobin. In lay person's terms, warming up helps break down the chemical complex of oxygen, which enables it to separate from the blood and enhance its delivery to the muscle.

Increases body temperature. Warming up reduces the potential for muscle and connective injuries.

Increases blood flow to exercising muscles. The more blood that reaches the muscles, the easier the delivery of nutrients required for energy production.

Increase blood flow to the heart. More blood to the heart means a reduced risk for exercise-induced cardiac abnormalities.

Decreases muscle viscosity. Hey, if viscosity is bad for your car engine, it's not any better for your muscles. Warming up enhances the suppleness of the muscle.

Help promote sweating. Remember: sweat is good. Sweating reduces the amount of heat stored in the body. Your body spends more energy cooling itself than through any other activity.

Enhances the speed of transmission of nerve impulses. Motor faculties improve greatly when you're warmed up. Need proof? Get out of bed and run to the front door. You'll probably bump into something, or worse, fall down. If you walked to the front door, and stretched. You could run like Forest Gump.

Increases the blood saturation of muscles and connective tissue. Sounds messy. In reality, the more blood reaching the muscles, tendons and ligaments, the better the elasticity of these tissues. Which means better performance and reduced chance of injuries.

Prepares the cardiovascular system for impending workload. Helps the heart and blood vessels adjust to the body's increased demands for blood and oxygen.

Prepares muscles for impending workload. Warming up may reduce the likelihood of excessive muscle soreness.


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Bettia

You Get What You Train For!
- Unknown
baymaster
baymaster
Posts: 112
Joined: 2003/02/11
United Kingdom
2007/08/07, 05:50 PM
Interesting stuff, but the mind boggles how people come up with this stuff. I warm up to reduce the risk of injury and get me in the right mindset for the workout. I note the last line 'warming up may reduce muscle soreness' - in my experience it has no affect whatsover but maybe thats just me - good post all the same, makes you think
ecle5c
ecle5c
Posts: 1,312
Joined: 2003/07/10
United States
2007/08/08, 09:26 AM
What do you define as a warm up based on that information?
baymaster
baymaster
Posts: 112
Joined: 2003/02/11
United Kingdom
2007/08/08, 06:47 PM
10 mins on the stationary bike to get the lungs going then a series of stretching exercises. Chest for example would be a light set of dumbells combining press and fly movements stretching the pecs and contracting the muscle. I always stretch calfs before a calf session mainly to reduce cramping but am still sore the next day

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Quoting from ecle5c:

What do you define as a warm up based on that information?
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