Why Is Warming Up Important

Abraham-Lincoln-Quote1

Four score and several injuries ago, our fathers brought forth into our active lives, a new concept called warming up, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men should be injury free.  I know, I totally misquoted President Abraham Lincoln, but for good cause.

The concept of warming up for many is a foreign language.  For some reason it speaks, but it just falls on deaf ears, myself included.  It took me going to the gym on a cold brisk winter morning, with a short window to workout in, putting on 225 lbs, jumping into the squat rack, preparing for the lift, confirming to myself “Nothing to it!”, proceeding to engage my core and legs, lifting up, backing away from the rack, and slowly lowering the barbell down, chest proud, legs at 90 degrees, totally plugged in, pushing up through my heals extending my legs until the first repetition was done.  Rep number two, “Nothing to it”, core engage, slowly lowering, 90 degrees, chest proud, and then that OMG feeling came over me.  The rest of me was ready for rep number two, but my back was cursing at me like a sailor.  Rep number two turned out to be my last rep, last set, and end of my workout.  I walked in to the gym feeling like a champ ready to get it in, and I ended up barely walked out, due to the pain in my back.

Personal Trainer

A few years later I decided I wanted to help the world be a healthier place, so I become a personal trainer, and during my training I learned a lot about warming up and the reasons why it is important, so I wanted to share that information.  Here are the four reasons to warm up:

  1. Warming up increases the blood flow in the body, raising the temperature to the active areas in preparation to move the body at a faster pace, and with more vigor.  The increase of blood and oxygen to the muscles, helps with performance.
  2. Warming up increases the amount of synovial fluid lubricating the joints, increasing the range of motion.  
  3. Warming up increases the heart rate gradually instead of overwhelming the heart, it is being prepared for the workout to come.  Typically a safe place to start the actual workout is 100 bpm (beats per minute) or above.
  4. Warming up reduces the risk of injury.

Future post will include a warm up routine.

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