Whether you're a weightlifter or a master athlete, it doesn't matter. You must do a warm-up before exercising. In this way, you can start adapting to the sport and reduce your risk of injury significantly. On the other hand, you do not need to be interested in a sport; You can only do warm-up exercises to start the day fit. Studies on pre-sport warm-up exercises show that warm-up exercises also increase the efficiency you get from training. Now, let's take a closer look at these basic pre-workout warm-ups.
Pre-Sports Fitness Warm-Ups
Warm-up movements can be defined as exercises that are done before starting sports activities and that ensure that the muscles are warmed up and made elastic. Thus, warmed tissues and muscles perform better during training. In other words, you will both get more efficiency from the sport you do and you will train seriously more easily. Since all athletes are aware of this situation, they allocate a certain amount of time to warm-up exercises in their training. Moreover, you do not need to be just an athlete to do warm-up exercises. You can spare a short time for warm-up exercises after waking up in order to start the day fit and to be able to move more during the day.
Is it possible to start sports without warming up?
As we listed above, doing light warm-up movements before the exercises provides many benefits. Still, you may have a question about whether to start sports without warming up. Reply; Yeah. You can start exercising without warming up, but let's talk about how harmful this situation can be. When you first start exercising without warming up, it will be difficult for you to do the movements because your muscles and tissues are not flexible. In addition, if you plan to start training without warming up; At this point, you should also question how ready you feel for training. Of course, the worst is your injury. Doing sports without warming up your muscles means that you are suddenly overloading your muscles. The result of this overload can also cause unwanted injuries.
Benefits of Fitness Warmups
- It helps you prepare for your workout.
- It warms and stretches your muscles and tissues.
- It strengthens you mentally.
- It significantly reduces your risk of injury.
- It is beneficial for heart health.
- It transmits the blood and oxygen it needs to the muscles.
- It prepares the central nervous system for the sports movement you will do.
- Depending on the temperature of the environment you are in, your body's warm-up time changes. Therefore, you may need to increase your warm-up time.
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5 Essential Fitness Warmups
It is possible to talk about many warm-up exercises to work the area you target. By trying these movements, you can determine which movement gives you more effective results. The pre-sport warm-up exercises are below, respectively.
1. Light Pace Cycling
You may be surprised to see cycling through your pre-sport warm-ups. Cycling, which is a sport on its own, can also be preferred as a warm-up exercise. If you ride a bike for five minutes at a light pace; Your hip, calf and hip muscles, especially your leg muscles, are activated. In this way, you can perform sports movements much more comfortably with your warmed muscles.
2. Light Pace Walking
Light-paced walks can be preferred not only for warming up but also for spending quality time during the day. During walking, the heart rhythm accelerates according to the tempo and thus, blood and oxygen are better delivered to the muscles. In addition, walking helps regulate your mood and may reduce the risk of diseases such as depression. The muscles that work during walking are as follows; front leg, hind leg, calf, and finally the hip.
3. Warm Up With Dumbbells
If you are going to start weight training, you can warm up the area you plan to work with light weight dumbbells by working for 5 minutes.
4. Short-Term Jump Rope
It allows almost the whole body to warm up, but care must be taken to be at a certain pace while jumping rope. The time you need to continue the movement without getting too tired is 5 minutes.
5. Squat
The squat movement, which women are particularly interested in, is one of the most basic warm-up movements. However, it can be done with or without weights. Doing a few squats before training helps warm up your body.
