Top 5 Pros to Warm Ups Before Working Out!

Looking for the pros to warm-ups before working out or some other warm-up tips?

Either way, here at Infinite Performance Training, we specialize in helping athletes and adults optimize their workouts for better performance and results. The best way to maximize your workout is a comprehensive pre-workout warm-up that not only gets the blood flowing, but helps you prepare for your workout.

Today, we will go through the best ways to warm up, different warm-up exercises, and the pros of getting ready to work out! We will also provide warm-up tips for athletes looking to prevent injuries!

5 Benefits of Warming Up

Every workout and training session at Infinite Performance Training starts with a dynamic warm-up. Warm-up activities have quite a few benefits and virtually zero negatives (aside from time). A comprehensive warm-up helps you with the following:

1. Reduces injury risk by preparing muscles for physical activity
2. Improves performance by increasing blood flow and body temperature
3. Enhances flexibility and range of motion
4. Prepares the heart and blood vessels for exercise
5. Boosts overall physical and mental preparedness for a workout

Preparing for your training session in a controlled manner is vital to reducing injury. Activating your muscles, increasing blood flow, and moving everything helps optimize your workout. Whether you warm up alone or with a certified personal trainer, you must get your body ready.

Words to know:

• Dynamic Stretching = moving through the stretch’s range of motion, like high knees.
• Static Stretching = holding a stretch for a designated amount of time, like a sit and reach hamstring stretch.

Here are the top benefits of why warming up is vital!

1. Reduces Injury Risk

Simply put, when you warm up, you reduce the chance of injuries. From muscle strains and pulls to joint injuries, you must prepare your muscles and joints for the impact and stress of a workout. A warm-up should include the total body with an emphasis on the areas that will be utilized the most during your workout.

For example, if an Infinite Performance Training trainer is helping a client with a lower body workout, we would want to ensure the whole body is ready to perform, emphasizing the legs. Performing some bodyweight squats and hip circles and preparing the legs with a full range of motion helps prevent overuse injuries and increase mobility.

2. Improves Performance

Speaking of mobility, a dynamic warm-up (moving through the stretch) helps increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to the muscles. Essentially, waking up and preparing your muscles for the workout will enhance the muscle contraction force and speed, thus allowing you to perform better. Sports medicine shows that a proper warm-up improves neuromuscular coordination and reaction time.

Here at Infinite Performance, we see this firsthand and like to use the analogy of a groggy person vs an alert person. Imagine when you first wake up compared to later in the day when you are alert. Your brain works better, and the same goes for your body. Since we specialize in training lots of athletes, we really stress the importance of dynamic movement and static stretching exercises before and after workouts. These are shown to boost endurance and overall physical performance!

3. Improve Blood Flow

• Increases oxygen delivery to the muscles
• Helps remove waste products and reduce muscle fatigue
• Enhances muscle contraction force and speed
• Supports the delivery of nutrients and energy to the muscles
• Helps regulate body temperature

Types of Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises

Most people tend to use static stretching as their classic warm-up. Reaching down and touching your toes, pulling your arm across your body, and holding it is better for cooldowns than warm-ups. Utilizing a dynamic warm-up routine will better prepare you and help you work through movement patterns.

This might sound silly, but imagine trying to stretch a frozen piece of meat, but when you thaw it out, you can move it. The same goes for your body. We like to get the blood flowing and help every client, from those who spend the day sitting to our top athletes, prepare for their workout!

Here are some of our favorite dynamic warm-ups to incorporate into your routine:

1. Leg Swings

Leg swings are great because they are performed in an upright position and are easy to add to your routine. Similar to arm swings, keep your feet hip-width apart and swing one leg forward and backward. Switch legs and repeat. You can gradually increase the height and speed of the swings. When you are on your right leg, you will swing your left leg and vice versa.

2. Arm Circles

To perform arm circles, hold your arms straight out to the sides and make small circles with your hands. As you move your left arm and right arm simuatensoly, gradually increase the size of the circle and switch directions and repeat.

3. Hip Openers

Hip tightness can lead to a variety of issues, from lower back issues to the ability to throw or run with proper form. To perform hip openers, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and take a large step forward with one foot. Next, lower the body down into a lunge and push back up to the starting position. Switch legs and repeat this process 5-10X per side. Some people call this the “World’s Best Stretch.”

4. Butt Kickers & Slow Jogs

Butt kickers simply refer to bringing your heels to your butt in alternating fashion combined with a slow jog. Acivitying everything from your right and left knee to even your shoulder blades (keep your shoulders back), you warm up the entire body and prepare your cardiovascular system too.

5. Core Activation

Anything to activate your core, such as trunk rotations, mason twists, bicycle crunches, and so on, is great for your entire body. Properly warming up your core is vital for your whole body and helps prevent lower back injuries when your back overcompensates for core weakness.

Creating a Safe and Effective Warm-Up Routine

As you can see, a warm-up routine can be quick and straightforward. Most warm-ups should take around five minutes, and higher-level athletes might perform extended cardio or stretching exercises to further expand their routine before a tough workout. A couple of rules to always remember when you warm up include:

1. Start with light cardio and dynamic stretching
2. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of the warm-up
3. Incorporate exercises that mimic the movements of the upcoming workout
4. Listen to the body and adjust the warm-up routine as needed
5. Make sure to cool down after the workout

The Verdict –

You know that a proper warm-up is essential for a safe and effective workout. A compressive warm-up is crucial, from incorporating dynamic warm-up exercises, which can help improve your performance and reduce injury risk, to focusing on specific areas of your body.

Here at Infinite PT, we always recommend that all of our clients listen to their bodies and adjust their warm-up routines as needed. Focusing on proper form and getting the blood flowing is key and helps prepare the body for rigorous activity!