Do you warm up before your workouts?
If you’re short on time, you may feel tempted to skip a warmup and jump right into your workout. Don’t! Before you strengthen, you need to warm up those muscles, girl.
Although often overlooked, warm up exercises are an important part of any exercise routine. Correct warm up and activation techniques improve the effectiveness of your workout and is a form of priming the body to help prevent injuries. A warm up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles.
Activation is one of the most effective ways to prep the muscles ready to be targeted. Like stretches, muscle activation drills increase the flow of blood and nutrients to your muscles to improve flexibility and get you fired up for your workout.
By applying a low level of resistance to your muscles, activations make the neurons that control them more sensitive. So when you get into your strength workout, those muscles automatically fire with greater intensity.
A dynamic warm up focuses on actions similar to the movements you’ll do while you work out. For instance, you can do movement-based stretching like lunges or squats, or light movements like riding a bicycle or jogging. Dynamic warm ups can help build strength, mobility, and coordination, which can all help improve your workout performance.
Try to spend at least 5 to 10 minutes warming up. The more intense your workout is going to be, the longer your warmup should be. Focus first on large muscle groups and then perform warm ups that mimic some of the movements you’ll do while you’re exercising. For instance, if you’re planning to run or bike, do so at a slower pace to get warmed up.
Try these warm up exercises before your next sweat sesh!
Complete 2 Rounds:
⚡️ 15 x Leg Swings - Side and Front (each leg)
⚡️ 20 x Pause Squats
⚡️ 10 x Incline Push-Ups
⚡️ 20 x Star Jumps
⚡️ 30 x High Knees
Together, these exercises can help prepare your muscles for most workouts. You can start off slowly with an easier version of each exercise before moving into a more challenging phase of the move. As a result, you’ll reap greater strength and conditioning benefits!
Are you warming up and activating your muscles before your workout, sis?
If you’re new to fitness or have a medical condition or a health concern, be sure to talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
Need help with any of these exercises? Contact our team at support@thebod.com.au
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