Before tackling any workout, it is important to warm up your muscles, loosen your joints and start getting your heart rate up. Most people don’t dedicate enough time to a full body warm up routine. These people tend to have more muscle strain and pain, stiffness and even injuries because their bodies were not ready for a vigorous workout. Here’s how to correctly warm up your body to prepare for whatever workout you choose.
Stretch and Rotate
Floor Exercises
Stretch and Rotate
Starting with your head, stretch and rotate every muscle and joint down to your toes. This wakes the muscles up and begins loosening the joints. Head rolls and shoulder shrugs, calf raises, toe touches, just work through each group of muscles and joints in your body and stretch them thoroughly. This is one area of your workout you will not want to skip. Take just 5 minutes to stretch your body.
Deeper Stretching
Once your muscles feel warmed up, it’s time for deeper stretching. Try spreading your legs and touching your nose to your thigh while reaching for your toes. Hold this position for a count of 5 on each side while breathing normally. This will help loosen your back and increase your flexibility. Side lunges, front lunges, and a few squats will prepare your muscles for a vigorous workout.
Get Moving
Marching in place while you do arm circles or knee lifts will help get your heart pumping while the muscles warm up even more. You’ll be able to feel a slight burn in your arms and legs as you move for no less than 5 minutes continuously.
Floor Exercises
Leg lifts, plank stretches, a few yoga positions and breathing correctly are all you need to complete your warm up. Your heart is pumping, your muscles are warm and loose and your joints are flexible and mobile.
Overall, it only takes about 15 or 20 minutes to fully warm up your whole body before a workout. If you fail to warm up or cool down when exercising, you are placing your own body at risk. Strained and pulled muscles, stiffness, lack of flexibility and less stamina are all a direct result of not properly preparing for a workout. Take the time to warm up your body, so that your workout will be more effective and injury free!