Don't Skip the Warm Up

Don't Skip the Warmup

For the past few years, I have woken up early in the morning, hopped in the car, driven to the gym and have immediately started my exercise routine.  However, about a year ago I was doing some squats and all of a sudden felt an unpleasant sensation in my lower back, which turned out to be a strain.  

In researching what to do for the lower back strain, I learned:

• Let it rest for a few days
• Apply ice at first periodically, then after a day start applying heat
• As soon as possible, do some rehabilitation exercises to ensure that the muscles heal properly
• Do exercises to strengthen the opposing muscles to the ones that were strained, to reduce the risk of re-injury
• It's good to warm up before doing resistance training

Safe to say that I learned my lesson and am doing all of the above now, including warm ups.  

From fitnesshealth101.com:
Performing a warm-up and stretching routine is a vital component of overall good health and fitness, and is strongly recommended before and after each and every strenuous weight training workout (or any other exercise routine for that matter).

In general, warming up will elevate the heart rate and increase the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, thus preparing the body to be stretched. Stretching then prepares the soft tissue and joint of the body to safely perform a physical activity. It is important to remember that a warm-up routine is not the same as a stretching routine.

The pre-workout phase of your weight training routine can be broken down into two primary phases: a general warm-up phase and a stretching phase. You should perform your warm-up routine first, followed by your stretching routine.

Benefits of Warm Ups

1. Muscle Temperature Increases: Muscles that are properly warmed up before rigorous activity will be able to contract with more force, and relax at a faster rate after a contraction. With warmer muscles, your body's strength and speed will be increased. In addition, warming up before stretching can assist in helping to prevent overextending a muscle, and thus, causing an injury.
2. Body Temperature Increases: Properly warming up will cause your body temperature to rise, making your muscles more elastic. Not only will your muscles be better able to perform, but a warmer body temperature can lower the probability of encountering a muscle pull or strain.
3. Dilated Blood Vessels: Taking the time to warm up forces the blood vessels to dilate. This will reduce the tension that physical activity places on your heart, and increase blood flow throughout your body.
4. Your Body is Able to Cool Down Faster: Warming up also triggers processes in the body (i.e. sweating, increased breathing rate) that assist in cooling down muscles and joints when they begin to get too hot. By performing a proper warm-up, you can reduce the effect that heat has on your muscles and joints when initially beginning your weight training routine.
5. Blood Temperature Increases: Similar to your muscles and body, blood operates more efficiently when it is warmed up. As blood temperature rises, blood oxygen levels rise. With a more oxygenated blood stream, muscles receive larger volumes of nutrients and can function at a much greater level.
6. Range of Motion Increases: By properly warming up, your joints will be more capable of extending safely throughout their full range of motion.
7. Increases the Secretion of Hormones: When performing a warm-up routine, additional hormones are automatically secreted to provide your body with energy via additional carbohydrates and fatty acids. These additional hormones are crucial for a successful and productive workout.
8. Increases Mental Focus: When performing a warm-up routine, the mind will enter a state of focus and preparation required for the exercises that you are about to perform. This increase in focus allows the mind to remain positive, relaxed, and with an increased level of concentration.  (source:  fitnesshealth101.com)

How to Warm Up
So now that we know that warming up is important and beneficial, how do you actually do a proper warm up?  You can do your own search for warm up routines on the web and in books, but here are a few good basic warm ups to get you started:

Quick and Dirty Tips for Warming Up
Fitknitchick's Warm Up

Last Thoughts
Would I have strained my back if I had properly warmed up?  Let's put it this way, it's hard on a car in the middle of Winter to start driving immediately without letting it warm up.  It's also hard on your body to start working out immediately without a warm up.  Since I've begun to include 5-10 minutes of warm ups in my routine, I feel like my overall workout goes smoother and I feel better overall.  Don't take a chance, take proper care of your body.