Why We Need To Warm Up Properly Before Exercise And Effective Ways To Do It

We all know before we head to the gym we should be warming up our muscles, but sometimes diving straight into a workout seems much more appealing.

Failing to warm up means your muscles will be tight before you start working out, so executing the perfect movement will be slightly more difficult.

“It’s important to get the muscles firing and the blood flowing through them by upping our heart rate,” said Tommy Wanless, master trainer at Speedflex.

So if you’re lacking inspiration behind your warm-ups and need a bit of a boost, read our explainer before you next head to the gym.

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Why are warm-ups so important?

There are two reasons warming up our muscles is crucial before we go full speed ahead into our workout.

“A good warm-up is essential to help prevent injury and also to ensure that you can exercise effectively,” said Fiona Crossley, F45 Kingston co-founder and PT.

“Not only does it prepare the body for the workout ahead but it also prepares the mind.”

What’s happening to our body when we are warming up?

“The heart rate will start to slowly rise and you will find yourself getting slightly breathless,” said Wanless.

“You will feel the muscles starting to loosen off and will find your range of movement will become increasingly better as the muscles begin to warm.”

As the muscles warm up, the blood flow and oxygen supply to them increases. This activates the connections between your nerve and muscles, which improves the efficiency of movement.

Ultimately, we are preparing our body for the (more intense) movement that follows.

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How long should we spend on warm-ups?

Wanless said anywhere from five to 10 minutes is sufficient enough to get all the muscles firing and the blood flowing nicely through the body.

Make sure you focus on all the major muscle groups during your warm-up and ensure you can feel your heart rate increasing.

What one warm-up would you recommend?

We asked Wanless and Crossley what warm-up they would recommend to give you a bit of inspiration.

Every minute on the minute (EMOM)

Wanless said to pick three exercises that are easy to put together in a circuit. You set a timer, then on each scheduled minute, do that exercise for a set amount of reps, and then rest for the remainder of each minute.

When the second minute starts you do the exercise again. Repeat this process until your warm-up time is over.

Focus on areas prone to injury

Crossley said focusing on the larger muscles and warming up areas that are prone to injury is another good place to start. She suggested:

1. Lower back warm-up - lie on the floor, shoulders pressed to the ground, bend the knees and then rock the lower body side to side.

2. Hamstring warm-up - stand straight, arms outstretched to the side for balance, lift one leg and swing it forward and up, repeat several times on each side.

3. Shoulder warm-up - get into a strong plank position with straight arms. Perform alternate shoulder rotations in which you support yourself on one arm while the other arm is swung in a wide arc as if you were swimming.

Before You Go

Six People Over 80 Giving Us Serious Fitness Goals

Sister Madonna Buder, 86(01 of06)

Sister Madonna Buder has earned the nickname ‘The Iron Nun’ having completed more than 40 Ironman races in the past 30 years.

She completed her first Ironman race - comprising of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run - in 1985, aged 65.

At 75, she became the oldest woman to ever complete an Ironman triathlon and at 82, she set a world record as the oldest Ironman triathlon competitor.

She says faith, listening to her body and maintaining a positive attitude to her physical endurance have enabled her to succeed. (credit:Nike)

Diana Green, 82(02 of06)

Not only did Diana Green survive breast cancer, but on her 82nd birthday she ran the 2016 London Marathon to raise money for cancer research.

Speaking to HuffPost UK before the race she said: “The crowds are so wonderful, they really spur you on. I’m excited to be starting in the VIP section and spying some celebs!”

What a hero. (credit:Diana Green)

Robert Marchand, 105(03 of06)

French cyclist Robert Marchand, aged 105, recently set a world record on his bike covering 14.08 miles in one hour.

Afterwards he said he would've beaten his time if he hadn't missed a sign telling him he had 10 minutes left to cycle.

"Otherwise I would have gone faster, I would have posted a better time," he told Associated Press. "I'm not tired." (credit:Jacky Naegelen / Reuters)

Jean Dawson, 100(04 of06)

At 100 years old, Jean Dawson is still a picture of health thanks to over 30 years of dedication to yoga.

She has been bending and twisting her body almost every single week for the past three decades.

“I really enjoy doing yoga," she said. "It has really changed my life and has helped cure aches and pains.

"I use to have trouble from a slipped disc in my back but doing yoga really helped me cope with it.” (credit:Lorne Campbell / Guzelian)

Ella Mae Colbert, 100(05 of06)

In May 2016, Ella Mae Colbert set a new world record for the 100-meter dash, just one week after her 100th birthday.

Colbert has been running track since her school days and despite falling on her first attempt, she smashed the previous record for 100-year-old runners (which was 1 minute 17 seconds) and crossed the finish line in 46.791 seconds. (credit:YouTube / Go Upstate)

Charles Eugster, 97(06 of06)

Dr Charles Eugster is a bodybuilder and sprinter who has set numerous world records in his age group for races ranging from 60 meters to 400 meters.

The 97-year-old, who refers to retirement as "one of the worst things that you can do to yourself", said he got into fitness late on in life.

According to Today.com, he began serious weight training when he was 87 and didn't start running until he turned 95.

"By the time you get to 85 you may have lost about 50 percent of your muscle mass and power, so I think it's extremely important in your older age to do everything you can to build muscle," he added. (credit:Harry Engels via Getty Images)