Fatso to Muscles

Having been going  to fitness facilities and worked at one for years now, I have seen quite a few people stretch before even warming up, which may lead to injury. Warming up first is key to prevent muscles strains. And also, warming up helps you pump out more reps in each set. With that said, before you start any physical activities, you should always warm up, unless directed by your doctor.

I realize most people mimicked others, and also, most of them probably learned it from elementary school and high-school. It is not entirely their fault; they just don’t know. Remember the P.E. coach with his short shorts and his body tight polo shirt, and don’t forget his whistle? He would tell everybody to line up in formation, and proceeded to demonstrate his way of stretching to show us how it’s done, particularly if it was the first day of class. You would think that an adult would know what they’re talking about.

From the gyms that I’ve exercised in and employed at, you can’t help but noticed, after the people come in the facility, they immediately head to the mats or one of the cardiovascular equipment thus preceded to stretch on or next to the equipment, bouncing up and down, twisting and turning; when I see that, it makes me cringe. Because I know it will probably strain their muscles.

When I was in boot camp, this was how our exercise routine went: After we woke up, we got into out P.T. gear (physical training), and proceeded down the stairs to the rec yard (recreational yard). That is where we would train; cross-train. We start off with walking in place and doing arm circles then gradually increasing the intensity to jumping-jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups, were some of the many exercises we did. That is where I learned how to warm-up properly.

However, I didn’t realize I was warming-up until I started getting into exercise science, by reading books, magazines, and articles on the Internet

I love to run in the mornings ,particularly when the sun isn’t up yet. So imagine taking a rubber band out of the freezer and start pulling on it. The likely hood of it snapping is far greater than if you let it thaw out first then pull on it. In other words, you can strain you muscles and tendons if not warmed-up first. In addition to help prevent injury, it also helps put more blood in the muscles, and with that, you are able to push more weight or run longer with less fatigue.

Depending on your endurance and if you have been or are injured, you want to consult with your health care professional first.

So how do you properly warm-up? How long do you warm up? If you go to a gym, you want to first warm up at least 15 minutes on any cardiovascular equipment. Always start slowly then progress if desire. If you prefer the outdoors, then walk in place for a few minutes, progress to jumping jacks or jumping in place for a total of 15 minutes.

You may use this warm-up routine in addition to your regular routine. Let’s recap: warming-up will help get your joints lubricated, raised body temperature, and prepare your muscles to get adjusted for heavier loads if the next activity requires so. You now have the information…now go out there and apply it!

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