Strategies for Warming Up Before Exercise
As a personal trainer and owner of Mile High Nutrition and Fitness, Alex Garbiso helps clients to achieve their workout goals. Alex Garbiso leverages his experience as a trainer to guide people in exercising safely and effectively. A safe and injury-free workout depends on the athlete' s ability to warm up correctly. Many athletes skip this essential step and begin their exercise session with intense activity that puts strain on cold muscles, which are not ready to elongate and instead will easily tear. To avoid such injuries, the athlete must get blood flowing through the body. The best way accomplish this is to engage in what trainers know as a dynamic warm-up, which mobilizes the joints and progresses to relax and stretch the muscles. The process begins with some basic cardio, such as jump rope or jumping jacks. Then, athlete can begin to activate each joint in succession, starting with the lower body. For those who are sedentary most of the day, the core, hips, legs, and glutes are the most crucial. Athletes who feel tightness in the upper body can also incorporate the shoulders and arms. Arm swings and shoulder circles are ideal techniques for working these parts of the body. Exercises that incorporate dynamic stretches , such as lunges and push ups, help to get the muscles limber. It is important, however, to avoid any static stretching, as these can over-stress newly warmed muscles and are best saved for the end of a workout.
