A warm-up is a must for every training session. How the warm-up should look like depends on the level of advancement of the exercising person and the type of discipline practiced by them. Beginners can limit themselves to passive (general) warm-up, but the higher the sports level, the more specialized the warm-up exercises should be. See an example of a warm-up offered by Fit Mom trainer Ania Dziedzic.

Warm-upis a series of exercises performed before the actual training, which are designed to prepare the body for exercise. Most people practicing amateur sports do not attach much importance to them, believing that additional physical effort only takes time and takes up valuable energy. Nothing could be more wrong! Warming up is a must and should never be skipped. Training without warming up may harm the body more than improve its condition. That is why it is so important to know the importance of warming up for the body and how to properly do it in order to increase your sports achievements.

What is a warm-up and why is it so important for the body?

Warming up involves performing simple physical exercises of increasing intensity, which are designed to warm up and make the muscles more flexible, and thus prepare the body for strenuous work. Thanks to the warm-up, the motor apparatus is less prone to injuries, the strength, efficiency and speed of muscle contractions increase, the cardiovascular system efficiency increases, and all this translates into better sports achievements.

Warming up does not lose strength, on the contrary - we increase the natural exercise capacity of our body. We also do not waste time, because by performing simple exercises for several minutes beforehand, we increase the efficiency of our movements and reaction speed, thanks to which the total training time is shortened.

It is worth emphasizing that a warm-up prepares not only the body but also the mind for exercise. A sudden transition from resting to full activity causes stress and blocks us mentally, thus reducing our exercise capacity. The warm-up allows you to tame the psyche with increasing training loads and mentally introduce us to a new situation smoothly and harmoniously.

What happens tobody while warming up?

During warm-up, the body gradually adapts to the changes taking place in its individual areas caused by physical effort. Preliminary exercises work on the nervous system, paving the way for nerve impulses that go from the brain to the muscles.

Thanks to this, during proper training, motor skills are improved, the body reacts faster to stimuli, and becomes more agile and flexible. More oxygen reaches the heart, blood pressure rises, and as a result, the muscles are better oxygenated, work more efficiently and tire more slowly. The body temperature rises by 1-2 degrees, which makes the muscular system with joints and ligaments more flexible, resistant to overload and injuries.

The blood levels of hormones that regulate the necessary processes and changes in the body during exercise are also increased. In addition, the use of carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy for working muscles, increases.

What are the types of warm-up? Passive and active warm-up

Warming up can be done in two ways -passiveoractive(or both). Passive warm-up, or general warm-up, is the simplest, most basic exercise that covers all parts of the body. Their goal is to smoothly switch the body from rest to exercise mode. During it, the pulse should not exceed 140 beats per minute.

Usually, a passive warm-up lasts about 5-10 minutes - this time is enough for beginners, training lightly, recreationally, at a moderate pace. Unlike the active method, the general warm-up routine is more or less the same every time, starting with a jog and then warming up the upper, middle, and lower body sequentially (or vice versa). For example: jog, squats, jumping, jumping, bends, arthritis (ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder, etc.)

See also: General warm-up before training with trainer Ola Żelazo

Active warm-up is more advanced and includes specialized exercises, i.e. preparing the body to perform a specific type of exercise. It has an individual character and depends on the level of training of the player and the most frequent movements he performs during the proper training. It lasts about 15 minutes and is much more intense than a passive warm-up. During it, body temperature can rise up to 39 degrees. It works well for intermediate and advanced people who specialize in a specific fieldsport. You can combine it with a passive warm-up, and also use it alone.

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Rules for a proper warm-up

1.The warm-up should last no less than 5 minutes, preferably 10 minutes.Its duration, however, depends on the length and intensity of the proper training. If you are planning a strenuous effort of several hours, spend at least 15-20 minutes warming up.

2.Adjust the type of warm-up exercises to your level of advancement.Recreational people may limit themselves to passive warm-up, but more advanced ones should use specialized exercises.

3.Adapt the type of warm-up exercise to your sport.Gym, swimming, cycling, running, volleyball, soccer - each of these sports requires you to focus on a different part of your body.

4.When warming up, do not use static stretching exercises- they can weaken the strength of the muscles and even tear or strain them. You can, however, perform dynamic stretching.

5.Remember to warm up every joint and part of your body- even if you are into cycling, you should spend some time exercising your arms and shoulders.

How to adjust the warm-up to your needs?

Each sport requires you to focus on slightly different parts of your body while warming up. This is important because different exercises are aimed at achieving different training effects.

The warm-up before running should take into account, first of all, the circulation of the joints, mainly ankle, knee, hip and the entire torso. It is also important to increase pulmonary ventilation, which will allow for deeper breathing, and to raise the body temperature - for this, it is best to start warming up with a 10-minute jog. Of course, the upper body should not be forgotten, but you can spend a little less time on them than on your legs and hips.

The warm-up before another sport involving legs, i.e. cycling, should be similar. Here, however, it is also important to warm up your back and shoulders, especially if you ride in a highly inclined position.

People who do more static sports, such as yoga or Pilates, should also not skip a warm-up. In these disciplines, flexibility and flexibility of the body count the most, therefore dynamic stretching can be a great introduction to them.

In sports involving the upper body (volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton, swimming), you should focus primarily on warming up the wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck joints.This is achieved by various types of circulation and arm swings, twists of the arms and torso.

Important

In addition to warming up, cool down exercises are a very important element of any training. Always do them after finishing the effort for 5-10 minutes. This way, you will calm your heart rate down in a controlled manner and allow your body to cool down after training.

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ABC of exercises