Warm Up Exercise

Just as the name suggests, these exercises warm the body. They do so by increasing blood flow to your muscles, thus making them more relaxed, less susceptible to injury, and receptive to more vigorous exercise.

As well as getting your muscles conditioned, these exercises tend to motivate and get your mind geared up for greater physical activity.

What if you're not up to a full workout routine today? That's fine - try doing just a few warm up exercises.

Although routine aerobic exercise can be important we all know there are days when we just don't have much time for exercise. However, by taking 10 or 15 minutes to do some light warm up and stretching exercises you can still feel a few of the benefits of a more high impact routine. What a great way to quickly boost your energy while getting what may be some much needed stress relief!

Warm Up and Stretching Exercises

Warm up exercise should be done to the extent that your heart rate increases, but not to the target heart rate level that you hope to reach during your full routine. Starting off gradually and warming up for close to ten minutes, or to the point of breaking a sweat, is often adequate. Of course, the duration and intensity should be determined by your physical condition.

A good warm up is designed to loosen all of the muscle groups, not only those that will be used in your specific exercise routine. The same goes for the stretching exercises that should be done after a warm up. Stretch as many muscles as possible, so as to increase flexibility and range of motion.

What works well as a warm up?

Often it is recommended that you do a slower version of your planned exercise routine. For example, a runner may begin with a brisk walk, a few stretching exercises and a jog, while a jogger may start off with a slower walk, followed by a few stretches.

Whatever you have planned for your more strenuous routine, 10-15 minutes of walking or bicycling can be a good way to begin. Customize your warm up routine with what works best for you and you'll find it more enjoyable and invigorating.

An exercise warm up and stretching routine can also be used as cool down exercise after your workout.