Warm Up Exercises
Warm ups serve an important purpose in your workout. It prepares your body to accommodate various types of resistance and stressors during the exercise session.When your body is warmed up, the muscle fibres are more active and receptive to stimuli. Mentally, you are more alert and focused on your workout. Thus, warming up properly greatly reduces the risk of injury.
Here are 8 exercises that you should include in your warm up routine to make your workouts more safe:
1. Jumping Jacks
It may seem like an exercise fit for children but Jumping Jacks are an effective warm up for any age. It raises your heart rate and gets the sweat going within 3 minutes. Jumping Jacks warms up the key muscles in your body: legs, lower back, abs and shoulders. If you have a hard time performing Down Unders, Jumping Jacks will do just fine.Recommended Volume: 3 sets x 10 reps
2. Double Unders
Another exercise that seems like playtime activity for kids at a playground is a great way to warm up the body. It is basically skipping rope; an exercise identified with boxers. Down Unders not only warms up the entire body but it also develops timing, agility, speed and coordination. It is also low impact which means Down Unders is safe for your knees and feet.Recommended Volume: 3 sets x 1 minute
3. Leg Swings
Most injuries to the legs are caused by having tight hips and hamstring muscles. Leg Swings are the best way to get these areas ready for the workload ahead. You can do Leg Swings 2 ways. Leg Swings to the front activate the hip flexors. On the return, swing your leg back as far as you can to prime your hamstrings and glutes. Leg Swings to the sides activate the hips, adductor and abductor muscles or the inner and outer thigh muscles respectively.Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 10 reps
4. Inch Worm
Inch Worm is an interesting way to work to a Plank position. It starts out as a stretch exercise for the hamstrings, gluteus muscles and calves but as your hands move forward, you end up transitioning to a Plank which hits your abs, lower back, chest and shoulders. Inch Worm also improves flexibility, mobility and agility.Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 20 seconds (hold the Plank for 20 seconds before moving back to start position)
5. Bodyweight Squat
The Squat is called the “King of Exercises” because it builds your legs like no other exercise and it has a muscle building effect on other body parts. But you don’t need a barbell to get the most of the Squat. Using your body weight as resistance is a great way to warm up your legs, hips, lower back and abs. You can do bodyweight squats just about anywhere, anytime!Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 10 reps
6. Wall Sit
Wall Sit is a wonderful follow up exercise to Bodyweight Squat. By maintaining the bottom position of the Squat for 30 seconds with your back against the wall, you increase tension on the thighs, hamstrings, glutes and the muscles supporting the knees. The increased tension helps stretch the tough fascia tissue and improves blood flow in the lower body area.Recommended Volume: 1 set x 30 seconds
7. Arm Circles
Arm Circles is a safe dynamic stretching exercise that activates the muscles in the shoulders, traps and the upper back. You should perform arm circles 2 ways: to the front and to the sides. This is an effective way to warm up the muscles supporting the rotator cuff which is highly susceptible to injury. Always do arm circles in both directions.Recommended Volume: 3 sets x 30 reps (15 reps per direction)
8. Arm Swings
Once you’ve done Arm Circles, you can expand the exercise to Arm Swings which includes the chest area in the arm up. Focus on getting a good stretch on the chest and front head of the shoulders with every rep. Similar to Arm Circles, do Arm Swings in both directions.Recommended Volume: 3 sets x 30 reps (15 reps per direction)
Take your time to do these warm up exercises during your warm up. You can skip Jumping Jacks if you can do Down Unders for the required amount of time. But do the rest of the exercises in sequence.
Once you’ve completed the warm up, progressively increase the amount of resistance in your workout. Just because you are sweating buckets doesn’t mean you are ready to go under the barbell and Squat maximum weight.
Start out with a light weight and go up in small increments until you are confident of doing your working sets in good form. Always keep in mind that progressively increasing the amount of resistance still forms part of your warm up.
