The Importance of Warming Up Before Exercise

Warming Up Before Physical Activity

Everyone is at risk of sustaining a sports injury, regardless of their athletic ability. However, incorporating warm-up exercises into your routine can help to reduce that risk. Here’s what you should know.

How Warming Up Protects You from Injury

Warming up your body before participating in high-intensity aerobic exercise can not only increase your athletic performance but can prevent you from sustaining an avoidable injury. By effectively increasing your muscle’s internal temperatures, you increase your flexibility. This then leaves you less likely to sustain strains, sprains, and other musculoskeletal injuries.

Warming up before strenuous exercise can have the following benefits:

• Increased flexibility
• Increased range of motion
• Increases heart rate
• Increases blood flow to muscles
• Increases synovial fluid production, reducing joint friction
• Removal of lactic acid
• Oxygenated blood traveling faster to the areas of the body that need it
• Dilation of capillaries
• Increased athletic performance

Properly Warming Up Your Body

A proper warm-up should last between 5 and 10 minutes before jumping into your main exercise routine. If you’re going to be doing a more intense workout routine, your warm-up should be on the longer side.

Ideally, your warm-up routine should touch on most of the major muscle groups. Some examples of warm-up activities include:

• High-knees
• Jogging
• Lateral lunges
• Squat-jumps
• Jumping jacks
• Plank walk-outs

The Importance of Proper Form and Technique

When warming up, it is imperative that you use proper form and technique in order to prevent injury. Bad form, regardless of the type of exercise, can result in damage to your joints, ligaments, and muscles. If you are unsure how to perform certain movements or exercises, consult an athletic trainer or a sports medicine specialist to make sure you’re on the right track.

Orthopedic Care in Fox Valley

At Fox Valley Orthopedics, we can help you get back to a pain-free, comfortable life. If you have been dealing with aches and pains that have lasted for more than a week, don’t put off getting help another day. Call (630) 584-1400 today to schedule your appointment.