Downtown Vancouver Physio Offers Advice on Warming-up Before Working Out.

 Vancouver Physiotherapy Clinic’s Advice on Warming-up

Warming the body up before a workout is beneficial for many reasons; such as revving up your cardiovascular system, raising your body temperature (literally warming your body up), and increasing blood flow in and out of your muscles. Some studies show that warming up may also reduce muscle soreness post-workout and reduce the risk of injury during a workout.

There are many different types of warm-ups. Active, meaning the participant is moving through ranges of motions with their body that actually requires their muscles to fire, stretch and stabilize VS a passive warm-up where a participant simply sinks and sits into positions. I prefer to leave my static (long-held) stretches until after a workout is finished; a cooldown of sorts. Static stretches should be held in a comfortable range for 60 seconds per muscle group, per side. Overall, your body should be warm (a light sweat) before starting a workout, so a quick spin on the bike, other cardio equipment, or a brisk walk around the block for 5-10 minutes should do the trick, then a light active stretch session should finish you off and get you ready to go.

To summarize, warmups and cool-downs pose little risk and seem to give your heart and muscles a chance to ease into — and out of — an exercise session, and for this reason, it is important to participate in them. 

• March 3, 2021

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