Warm-ups

Every day I cringe as I watch people wander into a gym, immediately lie down on a bench, and start cranking out their workout with heavy weight within seconds.  These are the people that end up hurting themselves and missing weeks/months due to ignorance/apathy. We exercise to lose weight, build muscle, and feel better about ourselves, not to end up like that.

Why warm up?

warm-up

Warm-up is one of the most important elements of an exercise program. It is particularly important to prevent injury. Warming up for a workout can influence everything from the hormone response to training (which affects any fat loss that may occur), to strength and power output, to post-workout soreness. Research shows that the ideal warm-up can “jazz up” the central nervous system, enhancing your training. You can perform following as a warm-up

·         2-3 minutes of jump rope 

·         Light jogging

·         50 jumping jacks 

·         20 body weight squats

·         5 lunges (each leg)

·         10 hip extensions

·         5 hip rotations each leg (like you’re stepping over a fence)

·         10 forward leg swings (each leg)

·         10 side leg swings (each leg)

·         10-20 push ups (scale based on your level of fitness)

·         Arm and shoulder rotations