Why do we need to warm up before exercise? & bull; hello healthy

Have you ever felt that your joints become difficult to move after lifting weights or have your legs feel as hard as concrete after a four-five lap run? If so, maybe the root of the problem is not in your technique, but simply because you missed your pre-workout warm-up.

While warming up won't burn hundreds of calories or speed up the process of building your ideal six-pack, these simple habits that are often thought to be a waste of time have a very important place in your workout routine.

No matter your level of athletic skill, you should always start with a proper warm-up.

The benefits of warming up before exercise

Warm-up is a session that takes place prior to physical activity; typically the warm-up will consist of light cardiovascular exercise combined with stretching. Most warm-up sessions last anywhere from 20 minutes to half an hour.

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There are many reasons to warm up before exercise. Basically, heating serves two main purposes - to prevent injury and improve performance.

1. Prevent injury

The most important reason to warm up before exercise is to prevent injury. Muscles that have been warmed up become more flexible and smoother. This means that sudden, violent movements, such as high kicks or awkward landing positions will be more resilient to potential muscle cramps, sprains, and tears. Torn muscles can be serious injuries that take a long time to heal (not to mention very painful and potentially need stitches).

Reporting from Active, there are human studies on sudden high-intensity physical exercise with its effect on the heart. One particular study investigated 44 people who ran on a high-intensity treadmill for 10 to 15 seconds without warming up. The ectrocardiogram (EKG) data showed that 70 percent of the subjects had abnormal heart function changes that resulted in minimal blood supply to the heart muscle. These abnormal changes are not related to age or fitness level; each participant was free of overt symptoms of coronary heart disease.

2. Improve sports performance

Warming up before exercise will "knead" your muscles to make them more flexible while also increasing blood circulation to the various muscles you will be using. As a result, increased blood flow also brings more oxygen around the body, which increases muscle energy and expands its reflexes and range of motion.

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Along with an increase in fresh blood intake comes an increase in muscle temperature. This is great because the hemoglobin in your blood releases oxygen more easily at higher temperatures. More blood entering the muscles, together with the extra supply of oxygen for muscle work, gives you better quality sports performance allowing you to work out longer or harder. Increased muscle temperature also contributes to faster stretching and relaxation of muscles. Nerve transmission and muscle metabolism are increased, so the muscles work more efficiently.

3. Maintain healthy bones and joints

The importance of warming up before exercise also extends to affecting the bones and joints, which are parts of the body that are also prone to injury during training. By heating you will help more fluid lubricate the joints making them more slippery and flexible to prevent corrosion and locking. For sports that require you to put a lot of stress on your knees, such as running, warming up is mandatory

By stretching the spine and lengthening the plates of the spine you can also prevent serious injury to your back.

4. Prepare mentally for strenuous physical exercise

Warming up is also a good opportunity for an individual to prepare mentally to always give his 100 percent of his ability in the face of strenuous physical exercise. Warming up helps to improve blood flow not only to muscles and joints, but also flows to your brain, thereby increasing your focus and alertness and reducing stress.

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Mental preparation for future physical exercises is thought to improve technique, skills and coordination. It will also prepare athletes for potential discomfort when faced with a difficult situation or race. If both mentally and mind are ready to deal with the discomfort, the body can produce a higher speed. If the mind is unwilling to face stress, physical performance will naturally be limited.