Doing warm-up exercises before your workout is important in so many ways. A good warm-up will gradually increase your heart rate, increase circulation to your muscles, tendons and ligaments, and afford you the chance to mentally prepare for your workout.
The importance of warm-up exercises can be compared to driving your car in freezing cold weather. It’s generally best to allow your car to warm up a bit before driving it. The same principle applies when you work out. You want to physically prepare your body for the demands of a workout by gradually warming it up.
With so many benefits to implementing a proper warm-up, here’s a top 9 list of why you should begin your workout with a proper warm-up.
- Blood flow to the muscles increases, allowing for the efficient delivery of glucose (sugar) and fatty acids to the muscles. These nutrients are essential for energy production.
- Internal body temperature raises, allowing for improved muscle movements while also reducing the potential for injury.
- Coordination and reaction times improve. A warm-up allows for nerve impulses to move faster, which lets muscles perform given tasks more accurately and efficiently.
- Overall oxygen delivery improves, while shortness of breath decreases.
- The incremental rise in heart rate seen during a warm-up helps prevent a rapid increase in blood pressure.
- Muscles acclimate to a greater workload and become more pliable, resulting in enhanced power potential from the muscles.
- Blood flow to the heart gradually increases, reducing the risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
- Sweating is promoted, which helps cool the body during exercise.
- Mental activity improves, leading to a more focused and beneficial workout.