If you were to take your brand new super fast lamborghini on a ride, would you step on the gas from the beginning, with the engine still cold, or would you rather let it warm up a bit? The same applies to your body. You can exploit it many times without proper warm-up and you will probably get away with it… until you don’t.
In our frantic world, where it is a miracle to find a free hour for training, every second is worth it’s weight in gold. As a result, most of us perform the warm-up in a form of tying shoes … Meanwhile, it is an extremely important, sometimes even crucial element of training – especially when it gets cold and muscles need more time to reach full capacity.
ADVANTAGES OF WARM-UP
Omitting the warm-up gives only deceptive savings – in fact warming up before the run brings a full range of benefits to our body, and not only ticking off the workout. Thanks to the warm-up, we achieve the following profits:
- raising the body and muscle temperature by 1-2 deg. C – heat generated during effort is distributed by the blood throughout the body, increasing the efficiency of chemical reactions in the body;
- preparing muscles and joints – muscles improve elasticity due to higher temperature, and synovial fluid in the joints gets less thick, improving joints range of motion. As a result, we protect against multiple injuries;
- preparing lungs and heart – during a brief warm-up the heart rate increases, blood circulation accelerates and lungs are prepared for better oxygen supply;
- preparing the body for effective energy management – the body will switch from standby to exercise mode, so that from the beginning of the run it will burn carbohydrates more effectively;
5-7 MINUTES IS ENOUGH
5-7 minutes is already enough to enter the exercise mode. This is of course an absolute minimum. Generally, the longer the warm-up, the better your muscles are prepared to work. We can afford a short warm-up if we go out for an easy, regenerative training or running in the 1st training zone (read more about training methods here).
A little more time is necessary in winter and before harder trainings. If such is a case, five minutes will be too short. However, better 5 minutes than nothing
HOW TO WARM UP
First and foremost, the aim of warm-up is to switch from standby to exercise mode, so we need to increase body temperature in order to oxygenate muslces and make them more flexible. At first they are cold, so we should avoid static stretching and rather perform some dynamic exercise, carefully at first and intensifying with concecutive repetitions of the exercise.
1. START UP
We begin with a brisk march on the spot (also using arms), after a moment start jogging on the spot, gradually rising legs higher. The aim is to gently set the entire body in motion.
2. JOINTS MOBILIZATION
Next, we rotate all joints (both directions) from top to bottom, namely:
- roate your neck
- roate your arms – forward and backward together and alternately (first left, then right hand)
- rotate the trunk to the sides (with arms stretched to the sides)
- rotate your hips (first left, then right)
- rotate your leg in the hip – Raise the leg (bent in knee) and make a circular motion (hip) to the outside, then inside
- rotate your knees (first left, then right)
- rotate your ankles – first one leg, then the other
3. MUSCLES MOBILIZATION
After the mobilization of all joints, we move to the last exercises designed to warm the muscles that will take the largest share in training. The collection of exercises here is virtually unlimited and everyone can choose those exercises that suit them best. You should choose your favorite set of exercises – it is just important to choose such ones that will target all the necessary muscles. A sample set can look like this:
TOE TOUCHES (TO THE FRONT FOOT) – cross your legs and perform a forward bend to the front foot. Change the legs and perform another forward bend. This way you mobilize back and rear thigh group muscles.
ONE LEG HEEL RAISES WITH LEG TO CHEST PULL – perform one leg heel raises, while pulling the other leg, bent in knee, towrd your chest. This way you mobilize calfs, glutes and hips.
ONE LEG HEEL RAISES WITH LEG TO BUTT PULL – perform one leg heel raises, while pulling the other leg back to your buttock. This way you moilize calfs, quadriceps muscles and hips.
MARCH WITH FORWARD LUNGES – during a march perform long forward lunges. You will mobilize ilio-lumbar, quadriceps and hip muscles along with improving balance.
MARCH WITH FORWARD STRAIGHT LEG RAISES – during march, perform forward straight leg raises to the hip height and touch your toe with opposite hand. This way you improve hips range of motion.
SIDE LUNGES – perform a deep lunge to the side. Weighted leg should be bent to 90 degrees, the unweighted – straight. This way you mobilize adductor muscles.
CROSSOVER RUN – perform a cross-legged run to the side – first left, then right. This way you mobilize the hips and the lateral thigh muscle group.
