Do you really need to warm up before exercising?

The cavemen didn’t warm up before hunting so why should we do so before exercising?  Well, the cavemen lived in a time of constant “fight or flight” so when the time came for them to perform they had a little help from a certain hormone called Adrenalin!

Thankfully we now live in slightly more stable times and have spent many years of scientific research looking in to how to we can perform better.

I know it is easy to ditch the warm up especially if you are short of time (hello, I’m a busy mum) or are exercising alone but there are many benefits of spending just 5-10 minutes preparing your body!

Here are my top ten:

1.  A gradual warm up will steadily prepare your heart for an increase in activity, helping you avoid a rapid increase in blood pressure.

2.  It increases the blood flow to your working muscles, better preparing them for the additional workload to come (and literally warms them up!).

3.  Done gradually it helps prevent you from getting out of breath too early or too easily as it increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients required by your muscles. (This is why without a good warm up the first 10 minutes of a run are normally the hardest!).

4.  It stimulates the production of lubrication (synovial fluid) required by your joints for easier (and less painful) movement.

5.  It reduces the risk of soft tissue (ligament, tendon and muscle) injuries by allowing your muscles and joints to move through a greater range of motion easily (and safely).

6.  It increases your neurological (nerve-to-muscle) pathways, which can improve your co-ordination and the quality of your workout.

7.  It allows you to practice/rehearse the moves you are about to perform during your workout (i.e there is no point doing lots of upper body exercises during a warm up if you are about to do a lower body workout).

8.  It causes an increase in blood temperature, which can allow you to work out longer or harder.

9.  It prompts hormonal changes in the body responsible for regulating energy production.

And finally!

10.  It helps mentally prepare you for the exercise ahead, giving you a few minutes to get "in the zone" for a great workout! 

Hope that helps convince you!  In my next post I will go into more detail about what a good warm up actually consists of!

Until then.

Aileen xxx