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Why warm up before training and how to do it right
Why warm up before training and how to do it right
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The life hacker found the answers to the main questions about the warm-up.

Why warm up before training and how to do it right
Why warm up before training and how to do it right

What is a warm-up for from the point of view of science

Most of the research on warm-up shows a positive effect. During the warm-up, several changes occur in the body:

  1. Muscle performance is increased by increasing their temperature. A 1 ° C increase in muscle temperature increases muscle performance by 2–5%.
  2. The efficiency of work is increased due to the increased utilization of creatine phosphate and the accelerated turnover of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
  3. The conductivity of muscle fibers improves: signals from the brain reach the muscle faster, resulting in increased power of movement.
  4. Concentration on the movements and condition of one's body increases. Warming up helps you get ready for your workout.
  5. Increases speed and agility by reducing muscle viscosity or internal friction.
  6. The smooth muscles of the vessels are relaxed. They expand and the muscles receive more oxygen to work.
  7. The transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles improves, the reaction rate increases and the risk of injury decreases.

Does warm-up protect against injury

Muscle injuries account for about 30% of all sports injuries among professionals and amateurs. Warming up increases the elasticity of muscles and tendons so that they can be stretched to great lengths without damage.

Neuromuscular techniques are well suited to prevent injury: developing balance, working on a range of motion, exercising to activate muscles, pumping core stability.

In addition, static stretching protects from injury, but not before, but after training (as a hitch). It increases range of motion and reduces the risk of injury by 12%.

Gym Injury Guide →

How to warm up to get all the benefits

Warm up should be short and light

Too intense and long warm-up depletes energy reserves. Warm up for no more than 15 minutes immediately before training.

The warm-up can include:

  • aerobic exercise with moderate intensity, such as light jogging;
  • weight-bearing exercises to help activate muscles;
  • some high power movements, such as four sprints.

Choose specific exercises and intensity based on your capabilities. A good warm-up is light to medium sweating, heart rate (HR) - 50-60% of the maximum (about 140-150 beats per minute).

Perfect warm-up for 6 minutes →

Include exercises from your core workout

Special sports warm-ups are more effective than general ones, since they take into account the peculiarities of a particular sport. For example, the warm-up for F-MARC 11+ footballers includes running and hip exercises, balance poses with the ball, and different types of core planks: a strong core is essential for quick, sharp turns on the run.

Due to the correct selection of exercises, F-MARC 11+ gives excellent results: it reduces the risk of injury to the legs by 72%.

To protect yourself from injury, develop a workout based on your needs. Warm up well the muscle groups that will participate in the main workout, work on balance, focus on your weak points and previously injured muscles.

Universal warm-up for any workout →

Choose dynamic stretching

Static stretching is holding a posture for a long time. Dynamic stretching includes active movements: swinging in a pose, swinging legs, deep squats and lunges, and other movements.

Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretches increase strength and power, range of motion and dexterity.

Conversely, static stretching reduces the maximum muscle contraction by 28% immediately after warm-up and remains in deficit for up to one hour. Therefore, it is not recommended to perform it before training, especially before strength training.

Dynamic warm-up for runners →

Outcomes

  1. Warm up to increase speed and agility, increase power and strength, give more oxygen to working muscles, and get ready for your workout.
  2. Warm up for 15 minutes at light to medium intensity at a heart rate of 140-150 beats per minute.
  3. Include cardio and dynamic exercises to activate your muscles in your warm-up. The movements from the basic workout will also be useful, but in a lighter version.
  4. Eliminate static stretching before exercise, do it after exercise. This will help reduce the risk of injury by 12%.

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