Fitness Warm-ups help Prevent Fitness Injuries

by Lindsay Atkinson

Some clients love it, some hate it, but I force them ALL of them to do this at the start of EVERY ONE of our fitness sessions together…the fitness warm-up!

There are many reasons why it’s 100% necessary to warm-up before all exercise sessions, here are a few of the key justifications. A warm-up:
1. helps prevent injuries
2. increases blood flow to the working muscles
3. heightens mind-body communication
4. increases performance

A warm-up doesn’t have to be long, 5 minutes can suffice. Start your movements gradually and move all body parts with a little more focus on the muscles that you’ll be working out (ie. on leg day, spend 1 more minute moving your lower body around during the warm-up really opening up the hips and moving the quads and hamstrings).

Some warm-up ideas that I often use with my clients include:
1. Marching – Windmills – static runners – front punches
2. Jumping jacks – arm circles – toe touches – front kicks
3. Body twists – jump rope – side lunges – upper cuts

As long as you are moving around and gradually increasing the intensity from light to moderate, anything goes in a fitness warm-up.

Please share with me here, any questions you may have about designing your fitness program. Getting all the proper components into your routines is important to your health and safety.