What’s the best way to warm up for exercise?
WARM UP THE HEAT!
“Warmup" is kind of a general term but it’s kind of a beautiful concept if you step back and look at it. You may find that the principles used here regarding your workouts can also apply metaphorically to how you may “warmup” for anything. Be it a presentation, a test, or even a gradual progression toward a new career or career goal. Warming up can prepare you to be at your best when the time is right.
Let’s explore the concept in a physical sense here.
When you wake up in the morning and you first get out of bed, this is probably the most stiff you are going to be in your day. As you get up and move around, you are literally warming up your body for the day. When it comes to a workout or sporting activity, you are about to level up the physical demand on your body compared to the rest of your day, so it also needs a transition.
WHY?
Many injuries that occur during workouts are typically due to an improper warmup. If you improperly warm up (or skip it all together), your body may not be prepared for the demand you are about to put on it. Think about the dad at the company picnic who out of the blue jumps into the playful soccer game the kids are playing and suddenly pulls a muscle.
If your body is not prepared for the demand you're jumping into, then something may give way without any warning. With a proper warmup, you are opening up the window of demand that your body can work within and opening up the opportunity for your body to warn you when you’re about to injure something.
Also, there are studies that indicate elevating your body temperature during a warmup increases the sensitivity of nerve receptors as well as the speed of nerve impulses. Hence increasing your mental clarity and body awareness.
Your sport or workout may demand more of your body than you might think, so it’s good to have a dynamic routine that prepares your body in multiple directions.
WHAT IF I JUST TAKE A HOT SHOWER?
Well, sort of. Yes, your body temperature is raised. You may even notice that if you sit in a hot bath or jacuzzi for a bit, your range of motion improves. But this does not mean that you are immediately ready for action. You’ll still want to break up knots if possible and go through the dynamic movements and ranges to be sure your joints are ready to go.
OK, FINE, HOW DO WE DO IT?
What should a proper warmup involve?
Foam Rolling or equivalent
Dynamic movements
Increased heart rate leading to increased blood flow
Mental focus
Stretches? (We’ll explore that in a later blog)
Foam rolling breaks up knots in your soft tissue that can literally be holding your muscles’ range of motion back. It can also move the blood around and assist with the increased blood flow we’re looking for in our warmup. Foam rollers are the most common tool, but tennis balls can also dig into more specific areas. I'll probably dedicate a whole other email on this topic and the plethora of tools out there to use.
Dynamic movements will open up your available range of motion. You won’t be improving your range of motion that you never had before (that’s where static stretches come in), but you are encouraging your muscle to safely go to ranges it has built in.
Click here for a video demo of my favorite dynamic warmup routine.
Increased blood flow loosens up your soft tissue making it more malleable and easier to move. This means your warmup should be slightly challenging. Ideally your heart rate should come up just a bit, but not so much that you’re exhausting your breath right off the bat.
Mental focus is an often overlooked part of a warmup. This is a great time to really pay attention to your form and how your body is moving. It’s also an opportunity to tune in to your body and analyze how it is feeling. Plus, your workout is YOUR time. No one else’s. And since warmups are generally very routine, it’s a great time to spend a few minutes in moving meditation.
Stretches….well, that subject goes a bit deeper on its own, so we’ll talk about that in a later blog. But for now, general rule of thumb to follow is active stretches (aka dynamic stretches) in your warmup and static stretches in your cool down. But again, we’ll explore the details and exceptions in my next blog post.