Warm up exercises makes your body prepare to perform tougher workouts or strenuous activities. Warm up workouts are the sole exercise which is advantageous for alleviating stress. It is sufficient to increase the blood flow to the muscles, if you have just a simple walk or warming up using a treadmill for half an hour along with some stretches. It helps to improve the flexibility and prevents injury and discomfort. Warm ups helps to increase your heart rate gradually and makes easy for your body to perform workouts.
Even if you are starting to have a brisk walk, you must start with a slow speed and then remember when you end up running, end with a slow speed followed with some stretching for few minutes. Always start and end slowly. And then step by step increase the intensity. Stretching is always done after you have completed the warm ups because you are active, when your body's temperature is higher. Warm up exercises includes swinging, kicking the legs, and moving your arms in circular motion, as these motions keeps you from cooling off. Warm ups are essential before any workouts including aerobic activity. It is useful in lightening stress.
The warm up before workouts are the vital part of any exercise rules, as it helps in preventing future injuries. It is natural to start up with the most simple exercise first, building upon every part with more bouncing activities, till the body is at mental and physical crest. There are certain elements which must be incorporated in your warm up schedule.
1. The common warm up: This must involve walking, jogging, simple swimming and easy aerobics. These must be performed for around fifteen to twenty minutes and end up by little sweat. This makes the body prepared to stretch.
2. Stretching while standing: This is useful and fundamental stretching. This is advantageous for overall flexibility. This stretching must be performed for around five to ten minutes. In this stage, the contrasting muscle group and the muscles that are to be stretched get relaxed.
3. The warm up especially made for sports person: With the first two parts of warm up performed properly, it is now at no risk to move on to the third part. In this stage, more dynamic activities are performed.
4. Energetic stretching: At last, the proper warm up should end up with the chain of dynamic stretches. On the other hand, this form of stretching includes a high risk of injury if performed carelessly.
All these points are equally significant. No part should be ignored assuming it as non-essential. All these four points together helps to bring the body and mind to its crest. Stretching is one of the key element, in the schedule of warm ups. Note, stretching is not a warm up exercise. Stretching is only a part of successful warm up. This must be done under the supervision of a professional. It must be performed only when you reach a high level of flexibility.
