Ouch! It sucks being hurt here’s why you should warm up before your workout. We mainly exercise so that we can lose weight and we can build muscles and of course be healthy.

However, Once in a while, you might get hurt or injured and you may end up with a pulled hamstring or even a sprain which will throw a wrench in your gym workouts .

Every time I see people walking into gym and then immediately starting with heavy weights without even bothering with a dynamic warm up, I cringe on the inside. When you are engaging in such poor ways of exercising, you are preparing your body an eventual injury.

I’ve seen people suffer for weeks and even months just because they were reckless because they never bothered with warm-ups. However, if you have stumbled upon this site, you are perhaps a little smarter than other people around here and came to learn the correct way. So, today I will show you the things you need to do before you begin your workout session and the art of efficient warming up.

Warm Up Before Your Workout

The most important thing which you need to do when you are exercising is to be sure that you invest time in an efficient warm-up. I know, you must be saying, this isn’t really important; how could it be? Well, I will give you enough reasons to prove my point. If you think that you do not have ample time to carry out warm-ups, it means that you do not have time to work out either. Warm-ups are a must before workout.

So, what are we waiting for? 

Let us get started.

Your muscles are like rubber bands(Think of that for a second)

Now, I do know that most of us have a desk job and you spend a large amount of time typing on your keyboard and being on your desk. When this happens, you will find that your muscles will begin to lose flexibility and they won’t be as “warm”. Even during the winter season, muscles will constrict and you will find that your bands are going to get really hard and this is when the problem often begins. In order to get their muscles back into active movement, people tend to join a gym and they start lifting weights immediately. This is exactly where you begin to make a flaw. It is only a matter of time until your muscles will begin to snap, and muscle imbalances occur.

So, how can you help your own case? 

Can regular and static stretching not be of help?

If you carry out statics stretching, will it fail to give you the full warm up. While it’s better than nothing, we will explore something more effective called dynamic warm-ups.

It’s best to carry out a dynamic warm up as there is absolutely no short cut to this. I am going to talk of more details here.

Here are the things you need to know and the points you have to follow.

• Pregame is important: remember that when you are carrying out your workout sessions, it is important to be prepared for the action to kick start. You have to be prepared for the big action to begin and this is why you need to be sure that you are investing time in the right amount of warm-ups.
• Activate your CNS: when you are priming your muscles, it actually activates your central nervous system and thus the effect can be seen on a lot of different body parts. It will open up your body and give the right push to your muscles as well.
• Improved blood circulation: one more benefit which warm ups have to offer is the fact that it will aid in better and improved blood circulation.
• Improved flexibility: after carrying out the warm-ups, you will find that your body is much more flexible. It will give your body the much-needed strength to carry out the exercises in the right form.

So, now you know the importance of carrying out a dynamic warm up. Let us dive deeper into the details.

The Dynamic Warm Up

While there are different types of warm up exercises you can do, remember you need to choose something that settles with your level of fitness and based on this, you can carry out your workout session. Here is one such warm up exercise which you can try and carry out. Make sure to measure your fitness level.

• Jump rope: 2 to 3 minutes
• Jumping jacks: 50 ropes
• Body weight squats: 20
• Lunges: 5
• Hip extensions: 10
• Hip rotations: 5 ; for each leg
• Forward leg swings: 10
• Side leg swings: 10
• Push ups: 10 – 20. Ideally, whatever suits your fitness is fine, even if its on your knees
• Spiderman steps: 10 for each leg

You might say that this is too much exercise for merely warm-ups, but it is essential because it makes your body ready for whatever lies ahead. These exercises will emphasize upon your hips, legs, and glutes and these are the muscles which are likely to be least flexible on the human body. You can always fine-tune the dynamic warm up exercises by choosing the level of exercising you are comfortable with.

When you are working on strength training and you intend to use dumbbells or even barbells, you should always make sure that you choose to warm up right before you add in the weights as well. This is important because it will prepare your body for the upcoming exercises in a much more natural manner. Piling up too many weights right at the very start is one of the ways to get injured. So, please be cautious and do not be reckless and add as much weight as possible before giving your body the time to warm up.

Here is another advanced Dynamic Warm-up Routine:

What If, There Is No Jump Rope?

Dude, the solution is as simple as getting one. They do not cost a lot and can be found at so many thrift stores or even Amazon. You may not be really graceful in the very beginning, but you will get the hang of it over time and be more agile because of it. Make sure to stick to it and keep on working on your coordination and soon you will find yourself enjoying the jump rope.

How Do I Do Jumping Jacks? I Stay On The Third Floor!

Okay, I do agree that if you stay at the upper floors of your building then jumping jacks might not be the smartest option for you. The reason I put them in my warming up exercise is because they cover all the four limbs and really is a great choice for a dynamic warm up. If you really cannot do jumping jacks, I would ask you to do a slow jog in place while using your arms.

This Warm Up Looks Tougher Than The Workout I Planned?

Lol, seriously then what kind of workout have you been planning?

On a serious note, the warm up I have designed is primarily meant for those who are going to indulge in some serious training. When you are undergoing a lot of training, it is these kind of dynamic warm-ups which will ensure that your body will remain injury free. However, if you are not into extensive training and you are merely starting out with a beginners workout plan(link), you can check out easier warm ups and I am going to present one for the noobies as well.

• Carry out jump rope exercises for 30 seconds
• Jumping jacks: 20
• Squats: 10
• Lunges: 5
• Elevated push ups: 5 in number. Alternately, check out different push up variations to help you with some ideas

This seems to be a lot easier. Doesn’t it? This warm up has been designed that the exercises which you are doing are actually a part of the main workout which you will be carrying out. So, it merely acts as an extension, but it has been so designed to help keep your muscles loose and keep them warm for any workout plans you might have.

I want to add here that you do have the liberty of choosing any kind of warming up you are comfortable with but in the end, all that really matters is to be sure that you are not missing out on warm ups in general. Remember it’s better to be proactive instead of reactive.

Before you begin your gym workouts, you have to invest time in the dynamic warm-up sessions. When you choose the best warm up session, it will work on all the muscles which might have otherwise become rigid or un-flexible. This is crucial because if you put the rigid muscles under too much stress and strain, it is only going to create a lot more pain for you in the long run. The chances of injuries increase when your body is not prepared for the extensive exercising regimes or workouts.

When it comes to exercises, there are a lot of people who are very upbeat because everyone wants to look like Ryan Reynolds or Gerald Butler. However, it’s important to slow your roll and remember your only human. If you don’t have a ton of knowledge about working out you defiantly need to invest in warm-ups sessions.

Lack of the right warming up session can spell disaster for you and bring in a disruption to the kinetic chain. You have to be open to make adjustments. When you are making tiny adjustments, you are actually preparing your body for those little tweaks which can end up being more beneficial than you have imagined.

You need to be sure that you are carrying out the right kind of exercises and when you do the solid warm-ups as well, the odds of staying away from injury will be much better. All those who start their workout immediately after walking into the gym and get egotistical are the ones who will spend three months nursing a muscle tear or worse a broken bone.

If you have been working out for a while, the odds are high that you are already aware of the things you need to do. I have shared two dynamic warm up sessions with you; one which is for those who are merely a beginner to workout out and the other for those who are into more extensive training.

Conclusion

You are free to pick either of the warm ups and then based upon what your fitness level is like, you can follow one of the two. The golden rule which you need to remember is that if you don’t have time to warm up before your workout, you should never have the time for carrying out your workout sessions either. You either do both or you do nothing at all, remember you have to take care of your body.

-Terry Asher