How Important is Warming Up Before Exercise?

Working out regularly is great for your body, but many times people jump right into it without warming up first--and this can actually be harmful.  Warming up loosens your muscles and joints, making them less prone to injuries.

Warm ups get the fluids in your joints flowing which helps decrease the wear and tear on muscles that a workout can cause. It also allows the heart some time to adjust and pump nutrients and blood into the muscles. This is especially important for older people, as their hearts tend to be weaker and their joints contain less fluid.

A proper warm-up can also prevent muscle soreness after a workout. The increased blood flow that results from warming up helps to deliver oxygen to the muscles and lessen the build-up of waste products which often causes the muscles to become sore.

The main goal of warming up is just to get the heart to beat faster.  Walking or jogging at a steadily increasing pace is one way, which allows the body's temperature to rise and a light sweat to be achieved. Other great ways to warm up include doing jumping jacks, jumping rope or doing light cardio such as on an elliptical machine or a treadmill.

Once you've warmed up and completed your exercises, it's also a good idea to do a cool down. This helps you stretch your muscles and slow your heart down, and is the perfect ending to a complete, effective and most of all safe workout.