Exercise is the foundation of a healthy life. It is the most important aspect of self-care. Exercise contributes towards mental, emotional and physical well being. Working out regularly raises energy levels, improves metabolism and balances hormones. Exercise is the best antidepressant as it uplifts one’s mood instantly.
A recent study from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that 80% of adolescents world wide are physically inactive, putting their health and future at risk. WHO’s study in 2018 claimed that 1 in 4 people across the world don’t get enough exercise. While researching on why is exercise such a put off for majority of the population, we got some great insights on the massive importance of warm ups before exercise.
If you cannot keep up to your resolution and tend to give up on exercising easily, try again. This time by giving equal importance to the first few minutes, that includes the warm up session. Warm ups save the body from feeling overly fatigued after the work out session, thus having one more encouraged to show up the next day. Majority of body transformation aspirants plunge into vigorous workouts after a hasty warm up session. Well done warm ups, increase the body’s ability to exercise efficiently and recover from the side effects instantly. The feel-good factor post workouts is higher when the routine incorporates focused warm ups.
Why are warm ups so important?
Prior to warm ups, the body muscles are in resting state. Warm ups prepare the muscles and set them in tune to endure intensive activity. It helps the body stretch and get out of stiffness to perform the upcoming exercise session efficiently. It improves the body’s response to the exercise regime. If warm ups are not done, there are higher chances of shocking the resting muscle with sudden exercise, injuring the muscles and ending up with soreness once you are done. Chances of getting a soft tissue injury, minor injury and muscle spasms are super high if warm ups are not well done. One is discouraged to continue the next day, breaking the flow and hampering good results.
There are two types of warm ups: Static warm up and dynamic warm up. Warming up starts with the static style.
Static Warm Ups
This type of warm up helps in initiating a basic range of motion on the targeted muscle. Static warm up works on single point of movement of body parts. Stretching is the form of static warm up. From neck to toe, there are stretches for every part of the body. These stretches are done for 1 to 3 minutes.
Dynamic warm ups
Dynamic warm ups involve in improving the range of motion of leg, hip and core muscles. It increases blood flow and improves the strength of muscles, necessary for the following intense exercise regime. Dynamic warm ups include exercises like cardio, push-ups, skipping, lunges, hip rotations, squats and leg swings.
In addition to ensuring a good warm up session prior to the exercise regime, it is important to take one or two recovery days in the week, eat clean and stay hydrated!
For more updates like these, join Malini’s Girl Tribe on Facebook & Instagram!