Warming up

From ArticleWorld

By gradually increasing one's physical activity, an individual is warming up his or her body to prepare for a sport or exercise. A warm up should coincide with the workout that will follow. This will help get the muscles needed for the workout loose and prepare them for use. For example, if an individual were going running, a proper war up would concentrate on the legs more so than the arms.

Effectiveness

Warm ups will improve the overall efficiency of an individual's workout or training regimen. A proper warm up will also help against injury. This is due to the loosening of the muscles needed for the workout. In addition, warm ups increase the body's production of adrenalin which, in turn, increase one's heart rate and enables oxygen to move through the blood quicker than. Also, a good warm up will increase the production of synovial fluid that protects the joints from friction thereby decreasing the instance of injury.

Stages

A proper warm up consists of three important stages. Each stage produces a different outcome and each is necessary before training.

• Stage 1 raises one's heart rate. Jogging or another cardiovascular exercise does this effectively.
• Stage 2 involves stretching. Callisthenic exercises such as lunges and squats are good at this phase of the warm up.
• The final stage of the warm up should involve a portion of the activity that will take place. For example, a basketball player might shoot baskets during this final phase of the warm up.