WHY IS WARMING UP BEFORE EXERCISE SO IMPORTANT?
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or dedicated athlete, warming up before participating in any form of physical activity is extremely important. We always hear about the crucial aspect of proper warm-ups, but why exactly are they so crucial? Well, the truth is that while it may not seem like it at the time, warming up the body before engaging in exercise of any sort can pose several benefits. If you are a fitness enthusiast who is looking to enhance their warm-up routine, contact Lewy Physical Therapy today. The importanceofproperwarm-ups. Stretchingandproperwarm-upsbefore exercise are arguably most important in helping your body avoid injury. As an athlete, we understand that one of your primary goals is staying healthy so you can participate in your sport or exercise of choice. Our physical therapists at Lewy Physical Therapy can teach you warm up routines that utilize light weights, resistance bands, or targeted stretches to get your body ready for physical activity. Some light cardio can also be beneficial inyourwarm-up routine,as thegoal is tohaveyourmuscleswarm and loosenedup.When thishappens,yourmusclecellsbecomeoxygenated and ready to work. A physical therapist can guide and assist you in perfecting your warm-up routine, similar to a personal trainer. Maintaining proper form during your warm-ups is just as important as maintaining it during your main exercise, and is one of the main keys to avoiding injury. Your physical therapist will analyze your form to make sure you’re doing everything correctly in order to maximize results during your workout and help you get the most out of it.
Additional benefits of warming up before exercise. While injuryprevention is the main benefit, there are many ways that warming up helps your body. Some additional benefits include: • Reducing muscle tension. When your body isn’t warmed up, it becomes tenseand tight.Tenseand tightmuscleshave restrictedbloodflowandmay not activate as effectively. Stretching and light exercises before a workout helps to alleviate this tension and help muscles expand and contract more efficiently. • Increasing range of motion in your joints. Joints that move better, work better! Warming up helps your joints move fluidly and throughout their full range of motion. This improves movement efficiency and function, which means better performance. • Improving circulation. In addition to improving muscle mechanics, the enhancedcirculation thatwarm-upsbringcanalsoaccelerate therecoveryof painfulareas,reducepost-workoutsoreness,and increaseyourenergy levels. • Helping with stress relief. There’s a strong link between physical tension andmentaltension.Byalleviatingphysicaltensionwithaconsistentwarm-up routine, you can ease psychological stress, too. Plus, evidence shows that stretching and/or participating in light exercises before a workout improves your “psychological readiness” and helps you get your head in the game. Ready to get started? Contact us today! All in all, adopting a proper warm- up routine before participating in strenuous physical activity is a small-time investment for a long-term benefit. If you have any questions about how to warm up properly and how we can help, contact Lewy Physical Therapy today. www.lewypt.com
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