A good warm up can help limit any discomfort or anxiety associated with long exercise sessions. It also enables the energy system to be “revved up” and “activated” to keep up with the pace of energy requirements.
10 minute warm-up routine
Warm up with 10 minutes aerobic work. It’s usually best to start a warm-up session by performing the same exercise as the intended aerobic or cardio workout.
For example, if you intend to jog for 20 minutes then walk for 3 minutes, walk briskly for a further 3 minutes, then do a few minutes very light jogging.
During this initial warm up, breathing should be easy at first, and then gradually build up the intensity over the duration. Although keep in mind that this is a warm up so you shouldn’t be breathing hard after the 10 minutes. At the end of the first 10 minutes you should be breathing deeper but still fairly easy, with a feeling that your body temperature has risen slightly.
Stretches should be done statically and not by bouncing to the end of the stretch (a ballistic stretch). A static stretch is where you extend the limb to a comfortable point and hold the position for 20 – 30 seconds. You should only stretch to a point where you can feel the muscle intended. You should never try to force a stretch or continue any stretch that begins to cause some pain.
Examples on how to warm up muscles before exercising:
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Slowly jog on the spot or walk for a few minutes.
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Rotate your joints slowly before performing the exercise
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Do some slow, static stretching of the muscles to be used during the exercise.
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Do the activity you intend to perform, but complete it slowly with a lower intensity level.
Completing the warm-up examples above can help prepare the muscles for exercise in positive ways. They prepare the neuromuscular pathways that innervate the muscles. They help increase blood flow to the muscles and tendons. They increase the joint’s range of motion, and boost the speed of muscular contractions.
