Warming up is that intermediate phase that occurs between rest and the state of intense exercise. Going from one to another without warming up can cause muscle injuries or discomfort if you work excessively.
The warm-up has some brief exercises and specific movements that will help us to activate muscles and the body in general, in addition to raising body and muscle tissue temperature. A good warm up It helps improve the range of motion, increases the force produced and also benefits secondary structures by increase its resistance and elasticity .
We give you the five basic guidelines that you should pay attention to and that you should follow when doing a good warm-up:
Warm-up duration
Before performing any exercise, warming up should last between 15 and 20 minutes, depending on the activity and physical condition of each person. For example, to practice a winter sport, it is advisable to extend the duration to 20 minutes, since it takes longer for the muscles to gain the correct tone. The same applies to those who do not practice sports regularly, since overexertion without being prepared can lead to muscle tears.
Warm up large muscle groups
Specialists recommend starting preparation with a gentle, rhythmic aerobic activity, such as rotating the limbs, and then moving on, for example, to a short run in place to activate the legs.
Focus on specific muscles
Focus on individual muscles, placing special emphasis on those that will be used the most in sports; In this case, it is advisable not to focus only on the large muscle groups, since all parts of our body can suffer an unwanted injury, such as the toes for a soccer game or a race, or the fingers of the hands if going to practice basketball or handball. It is important to get used to a routine so as not to forget any.
Muscle flexibility
The key to warming up is to stretch the muscles, both so that they respond better to any effort and so that they are prepared to protect the bones and prevent breakage if a fall occurs. Stretching serves to improve muscle flexibility. You can start by trying to touch your feet with the tips of your fingers, rotate your arms diagonally and work on your joints, which will also help avoid sprains and other injuries. It is also advisable to intertwine the fingers of the hand and, with the palms facing up, place them above the head, which helps to strengthen the dorsal muscles and loosen the vertebrae.
Stretching at the end of the exercise
Warming up is as important as stretching your muscles after exercising. You should spend around 10 minutes stretching. The objective is to take advantage of the fact that the muscles are warm to stretch them and prevent them from contracting due to a sudden absence of muscle tension caused by exercise. In these cases, it is about forcing the muscle, for example, by pushing the bent arm from the elbow towards the opposite shoulder until the moment when tension is felt, but never pain. Bending the knee and pushing up from the ankle is another exercise to stretch the leg muscles. If at any time pain occurs, it is necessary to relax the pressure.
Remember that prevention is better than cure
