Regular exercise is obviously important to maintaining overall health and avoiding serious health problems as we get older. Whether you are a lover of Zumba, spinning, walking, or boot camp, your warm up routine is just as important as the workout itself.
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Here’s 5 reasons to warm up before your next workout and a simple warm up routine video by Sharita J of GetFitLikeThat.com you can use before cardio or strength training!
1. A good warm up literally warms you from the inside out – as in your body temperature should rise, which is better for your muscles. The warmer you get all over, the more elastic and nimble your muscles will be, making you all the more ready for any workout!
2. Avoid serious stretching before a workout. This is a highly debated topic, but researchers have found a scientific answer: HOLDING stretches (static stretches) before a workout is bad! When you stretch, you trigger muscle relaxation, making muscles a bit weaker than they would be without stretching. If your muscles are tight, you can use a foam roller or you can try dynamic stretches. These are stretches that keep you moving, but still help to ease tight muscles before diving into exercise.
3. Your warm up should get your heart pumping. While you’re raising your body temperature, you should also be raising your heart rate to increase blood flow and help get the necessary oxygen and nutrients to those soon-to-be-working muscles. So if you don’t feel your heart speeding up slightly, step up your warm up routine!
4. The more intense the workout, the more intense the warm up should be. If you’re going to be jumping around, prepare your muscles with jumping jacks or squat jumps. If you’re sprinting, warm up with a light jog to prepare yourself for the pressure you’re about to put on those legs!
5. Warm up before all types of exercise. Even if you’re just going for a speed walk or doing a simple strength routine, you should still do a short warm up routine to wake your body up and get the heart ready to power that workout!
Sharita J is a certified group fitness instructor, runner, hiker, and health and fitness blogger. You can check out her blog at www.getfitlikethat.com for workouts and healthy tips, and you can visit her classes throughout the Washington D.C. area. She will help you work up a sweat with a smile! Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @getfitlikethat
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