By doing a warm up you are letting your body know that it will have to start working soon. It is important to do this so that your heart and legs can adjust properly. So don’t sprint out of the door, but start with a brisk walk, followed by very easy running for a couple of minutes. Then stretch.
At the end of your workout take a couple of minutes to cool down. So run very slowly or walk the last minutes of your workout and end with stretches. This will improve your recovery rate and reduce muscle pains.
What are some warm up, and cool down, routines that you guys use?
I know listening to Varinka last Saturday, and doing a little cool-down, helped with my soreness.
The warm-up increases the body’s internal temperature, the heart rate, the flow of blood to the muscles and the joint’s range of motion. When the heart, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are properly prepared for exertion, the threat of injuries is drastically decreased. The warm up should last five to seven minutes and should occur just before the Cardiovascular Respiratory or muscular endurance and strength part of the workout. The warm up is a dress rehearsal for the more intense conditioning activity.
Traditional Warm-Ups
•Slow jogging and walking for two to three minutes causes a gradual increase in the heart rate, blood pressure, circulation, and increases the temperature of the active muscles.
•Slow joint rotation exercises to gradually increase the joint’s range of motion. Each major joint should be worked for 5 to 10 seconds.
•Slow, static stretching of the muscles should be used before the upcoming activity. Hold each stretch position for 10 to 15 seconds. Do not bounce.
•Use callisthenic exercise to increase the intensity level before the physical training session.
•Slowly mimic the activities to be performed during the physical training session. Lift a lighter weight to warm-up before lifting heavier ones. This helps prepare the neuromuscular pathways.
Example: Traditional Warm UP
1.Jog 3-10 minutes
2.Neck rolls (10 sec.)
3.Shrugs (10 sec.)
4.Cross – chest arm swing (10 sec.)
5.Vertical arm raises (10 sec.)
6.Arm circles (10 sec.)
7.Hanging toe touch
8.Lunge position stretch (10 sec each leg)
9.Butterfly, groin stretch
10.Push-up position calf stretch
11.Jumping jacks
12.Push Ups
Dynamic Warm-up
This can be performed in the gym, or any outside area. Use the following exercises for ½ the distance or basketball court, then jog the rest of the distance. This is warm up most often used before your WOD.
Example: Dynamic Warm UP
1.High knees
2.Butt kicks
3.Bounding or Skipping
4.Carioca
5.Back pedal
6.Air Squats
7.Step slide
8.Walking Lunges
9.Tin Man/ Frankenstein march
10.Knee hug
11.Quad walk
12.Over the fence leg/ hip rotations
13.Inchworm/ Hamstring walk
14.Scorpion
15.Iron Cross
After each physical training session, regardless of the type of workout, a cool down should be conducted. The cool-down helps you taper off gradually before stopping exercising completely. The body must be gradually brought back to its resting state by slowly decreasing the intensity of the activity. Stopping suddenly after vigorous exercise can be very dangerous. It can cause blood to pool in the muscles which reducing blood flow to the heart and brain. This may cause fainting or abnormal rhythms in the heart which could lead to serious complications.
Traditional Cool Downs
•Slow jogging and walking for teo to five minutes causes a gradual decrease in the heart rate, and blood pressure.
•Slow, static stretching of the muscles should be used after the training session. Hold stretches 30 seconds or more during the cool-down to improve flexibility. These movements are slow and controlled to avoid injury.
•Repeat the stretches done in the warm-up to help ease muscle tension and any immediate feeling of muscle soreness.
•Be careful not to overstretch. The muscles are warm from activity and can possibly be overstretched to the point of injury.
•Use partner-assisted or PNF techniques.
Example: Traditional Warm UP
1.Neck Rotation
2.Arm Rotation
3.Internal Rotator Stretch
4.Triceps Stretch
5.Standing Toe Touch
6.Static Toe Touch
7.Sitting Butterfly/ Groin Stretch
8.Hip-Flexor Stretch Standing or Seated
9.Quad Stretch
10.Calf Stretch
11.Anterior Tibialis Flex (shin)
Exercises to Avoid
•Ballistic stretching which uses momentum or bouncing to force a muscle group past a point to normal use. This is dangerous because of risk of injury
•Yoga plow
•Inverted cycling
•Full neck circles
•Seated hamstring stretch with opposite leg tucked underneath and behind
•Duck walk/ deep lunges
•Any motion where the knee is extended past the toes causing risk of knee damage
•Quad stretch laying on back with both knees tucked underneath