Your Warm-Up Routine
A good warm-up routine is as simple as 5 to 10 minutes of aerobic exercise which your private training coach Boulder co should always walk you througgh. That is a priority for any personal trainer. It's best to warm-up with a similar type of exercise you tend to do in the main part of your workout.
You will increase the blood flow to the hungry muscles and tendons; you'll greatly increase your range of motion. The muscles' reaction time gets a boost in the soreness associated with recovery soon becomes a thing of the past.
What does a warm-up do?
Warming up prior to exercise does several beneficial things for your body. You are raising your core and muscle temperature by promoting blood flow through the muscles, making them supple and loose.
Tip: Stretching and the Warm-Up
You stretch it, that it has no elasticity, so it cracks and eventually snaps when pulled too far. Cold muscles are stiff and lack flexibility, so pushing them too far by jumping in to exercise without a thorough warm-up, could cause serious injury.
What is the Correct Way to Warm-Up?
A good warm-up does two things: it raises your heart rate increases your respiratory rate, which increases blood flow and increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the working muscles.
Now you are ready for stretching. Stretching each major muscle group and then focus on the muscle groups used in your particular activity.
Remember, when you are working out, each step builds on the previous one. You warm-up your body to prepare it for stretching, you stretch to prepare for actual physical activity, you cool down to return your heart rate and breathing to normal, and finally, you do a last set of stretches to ease away the soreness and let your body know that the workout is over.
Tip # 4 Stretch Before and after Exercise
By now, you know stretching is a vital part of any workout routine. You have learned why stretching is important as well as how to warm up properly and avoid injury while stretching. Hopefully, you will be incorporating stretching into your routine on a regular basis.
Of course, the time you add for your warm-up, stretching, and cool down at the end of the session will add to the overall time spent working out. Count on a full 20 or 30 minutes in addition to the time you spend on the main part of the training.
One frequently asked question is, "Should I stretch before or after I exercise?"
This is not in either/or option semi-: stretching both before and after physical activity is a must. Stretching after exercise to get a jump on your next session without stretching before hand will not do you any good either, and here's why:
Why Stretch After Exercise?
Stretching after you exercise is necessary for a very different reason. Any strenuous activity, particularly weightlifting, causes a small amount of damage to the muscle and associated soft tissues. The small rips and tears are what forces the muscle to grow when they begin the process of repairing themselves.
Stretching after your exercise routine helps release the tension and prevents the muscles from becoming tight. Regardless of the type of activity, you should stretch all major muscle groups.
All of the muscle groups come into play when you exercise, with you realize it or not. When you run, your upper body lends stability and balance to your movements, and when weightlifting or climbing, your legs are as important to proper form as your arms.
As always, thoroughly warm-up and stretch only to the point of tension. Do not force yourself to go past the stretch reflex and avoid bouncing. Remember to hold each stretch for 15 to 20 seconds before moving onto the next stretch.
Opposites Work Together
Every muscle (agonist) in the body has an opposing muscle (antagonist) that acts against it. The muscles in the front of the legs, (the quadriceps) are opposed by the muscles in the back of the legs, (the hamstrings).
Hamstring tears are common injuries in most running sports. This imbalance puts a great deal of pressure on the hamstring and usually results in a muscle tear.
Is Stretching Considered Cooling Down?
No, cooling and stretching down after workout or two very different things. Some experts say you should cool down first and then stretch, and others say that stretching can be incorporated as part of the cool-down process.
Some of the major muscle groups that work to balance your body and provide good posture are:
- Abdominals and lower back
- Chest and upper back
- Quadriceps and hamstrings (upper legs).
- Biceps and triceps
- Calves and shins (lower legs).
Tip # 5 The Major Muscle Groups
By now, you understand the important role stretching plays in a well-rounded exercise or training routine. You have learned how to avoid injury by combining a warm-up was stretching to prime your body for the rigors of training. You know how to do it and, more importantly, you know why you should do it.
You might want to take a leisurely five-minute walk on the treadmill to relax your body and then do your stretching. Your muscles will be warm and you will still reap the benefits of a post workout stretch.
Stretching specific muscle groups for your particular activity is important, you can not neglect all the major muscle groups. Just because your particular sport may place a lot of emphasis on the legs, for example, does not mean that you can neglect the muscles of your upper body in your stretching routine.
The purpose of stretching before exercise is to help prevent injury. Stretching does this by lengthening the tendons and muscles, which in turn increase the range of motion.