Carlo Alvarez

The best way to prepare for more strenuous exercise is to perform specific warm-up exercises because they provide an increase in body temperature. The warm-up can be considered the most important part of your workout. This is a period of transition from normal to athletic activity that will prepare you for what is going to follow. The purpose of a warming up is to prepare the body through gradual movements for the full effort it will perform during the workout session. Properly warmed muscles respond quicker than non-warmed muscles. Take the warm-up seriously, concentrate and work hard to develop fundamental movements. This is important in preventing injuries.

There are three types of warm-up methods: Passive, active and dynamic. Regardless of the type of warm-up activities used, the general purpose of warming up prior to physical activity is to increase core body and muscle temperature.

Passive Warm-up

Generally, a passive warm-up involves such methods as hot showers, massage or heat pads, but most research has shown that this type of warm-up does not achieve the desired increase in tissue temperature needed to cause a warm-up effect. Due to this, a passive warm-up may be better termed a pre-warm-up and may allow the individual to relieve some muscle pain and stiffness and therefore enhance facilitation of body movements for the general warm-up to follow.

Active Warm-up

The active warm-up is probably the most commonly used technique and employs various movements not directly related to those employed in the activity itself, with the goal being increased tissue temperature and improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems for the physiological demands and processes that will soon be placed on it. These may start with joint rotations, twisting and bending movements usually followed by jogging, jumping rope or light calisthenics.

Dynamic Flexibility

The final component we will cover in regards to warming up is the dynamic warm-up or sometimes called dynamic flexibility. The dynamic warm-up consists of functional-based exercises that use sport-specific movements to prepare the body for activity. This type of warm-up has been used for some time, but is still not common among most people. While dynamic flexibility is not as commonly used as other types of stretching (static, ballistic, PNF); this type of training has some unique aspects that may warrant its use in a warm-up.

This type of flexibility training has been shown to improve movement flexibility, balance, coordination, proprioception, elasticity of muscles and ligaments. It also has been shown to change the surfaces of joints in the process of long-term flexibility, and increases core body temperature and active muscle temperatures.

The next time you are looking for new ways to spice up your workout routine look to the different types of warm-ups to keep things interesting. General, passive and dynamic flexibility warm-ups will help you increase body and muscle temperature, which help you reduce muscle pain and stiffness, as well as, increase coordination, balance and muscle elasticity.