Drug Medical Information

FITNESS CONCEPTS: WARM UP PROPERLY BEFORE EACH WORKOUT

A warm-up is almost universally used at the beginning of an exercise or activity session to improve performance and prevent injury. The theory behind the warm-up is that muscular contractions are dependent on temperature. Since increased muscle temperature improves work capacity and a warm-up increases muscle temperature, it is assumed that one is necessary. The amount of knee fluid is also increased with a warm-up; oxygen intake is improved; and the amount of oxygen needed for exercise is reduced. Nerve messages also travel faster at higher temperatures.
Suggestions that can be drawn from the findings of well-controlled studies on the warm-up include:
1. Warm-up for 10 to 15 minutes prior to the actual workout or exercise session. A longer period is needed in a cold environment to allow the body to reach the desired temperature prior to activity.
2. The main purpose of a warm-up is to elevate core temperature by one to two degrees before engaging in stretching exercises or explosive muscular movements; you will generally reach this point at the same time your warm-up routine causes sweating.
3. Only a few minutes should elapse from completion of the warm-up until the start of activity.
Warming up muscles improves performance and prevents injuries. (Photo cCourtesy of the American Heart Association.)
4. Warm-up will not cause early fatigue and hinder performance.
Warm-up methods fall into four categories:
1. Formal The skill or act that will be used in competition or in your workout, such as running before a 100-meter dash, jogging before a 3-mile run, or shooting a basketball and jumping before a basketball game.
2. Informal The general warm-up involving calisthenics or other activity unrelated to the workout routine to follow.
3. Passive Applying heat to various body parts.
4. Overload Simulating the activity for which the warm-up is being used by increasing the load or resistance, such as swinging two bats before hitting a baseball.
Each of these methods has been shown by some researchers to be helpful and by other researchers to be of little value. Formal warm-up appears superior to informal procedures. When body temperature is elevated and sweating occurs, your muscles are ready for a brief stretching or flexibility session.
How long you decide to engage in warm-up activities is also important. The temperature of your muscles will rise in about 5 minutes and continue to rise further for 25 to 30 minutes. If you stop exercising and become inactive, your muscle temperature will decline significantly, and you may need an additional warm-up period. The best advice is to use a 10-to 15-minute warm-up period that ends in an all-out effort and causes you to perspire. You should plan to complete your warm-up period about 5 minutes before an exercise session or competition begins. Find the magic combination for you and your activity and stay with it.
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