Why Is A Warm Up Before You Start Your Work Out So Important

You will always be advised to make sure before you start any form of fitness training activity to carry out warm up exercises to lower the risk of injury later on. This is not the only thing that it is important to remember if you intend to carry our fitness programs. It is a proven fact that injuries that happen during exercise can be prevented if the person not only stretches before a workout but as a cooling down routine as well. This flexibility is further improved when you carry out muscle and tendon stretching exercises after you have finished any physical activity.

For instance, stretching movements for a warm up only have to last a third of the time that the same movements do when you are doing a cool-down, so they need to last for about a minute. Many people make the mistake of stretching and returning to their original position to quickly when the movement should be slow and measured. Ideally the stretch should last a few seconds then a slow return because it is easy to damage joints or even pull muscles when this is not done correctly. If you work the exercises in stages it will be easier and build up to the hardest stretches as you warm-up, this will also ensure all your muscles receive equal attention.

Injuries to the neck can be common because most people neglect warming it up; the easiest way to carry this out is by using the palm of your hand, alternate placing pressure from on the forehead to the back of the head and then the sides. Stretching should also take place during any fitness training workout as well to keep the muscles and joints flexible especially prior to an exercise that may be strenuous on particular areas of the body. It is a common sight seeing relative newcomers try to compete with people who are far more advanced but this is never a good idea; just stick to what your body is comfortable with and you will gradually increase you abilities. Always exercise to limits of your body on the day, just because a few days earlier you could carry out an exercise does not mean that it will be possible all the time so expect this to happen and do not over-exert yourself.

Every athlete knows that muscles need to heal and grow from physical exertion so give yourself a day off between fitness training and exercising; your body will appreciate it. Increasing your lung capacity, which means you won't get out of breath so easily and heart improvement exercises like walking, running and rowing for instance are the best to start with and you will find weight machines much easier to use. It is well known that music makes exercise easier as the beat is something you can follow and these days the tiny mp3 players can be attached without too much bother. Make sure you get a decent pair of headphones though because you will probably want your music loud but not everyone else will want to listen to it. If you are someone who has trouble relaxing or sleeping then you may want to consider stretching exercises as it is good for you even if you are not working out.