4 Reasons Why Warming Up Is Essential (and 3 Examples!)

So you’re short on time and think you can skip your warm up? Not so fast!

Here’s why it’s important to take an extra 5-10 minutes to get your body prepared for the workout to come. By doing an active (dynamic) warm-up routine you:

• Increase the blood and oxygen flow to your muscles
• Improve your range of motion
• Increase your performance
• Decrease the risk of injury

When choosing which movements to do, you should consider what exercises you will be including in your program and do a modified version of those moves.

Here are some examples:

1. If you’re planning squat jumps then include squats and squat pulses, gradually increasing the depth of the squat as your muscles get warmer.
2. If you have running on the agenda, start by doing walking lunges, butt kicks and/or jogging in place.
3. If you’re doing upper body work, try arm circles, shoulder rolls and mimic the movement you plan to do without using weights during your warm-up.

Always keep in mind the muscles you’ll be using so you get all the benefits and use your time efficiently.

If you have any questions or I can help out in any way, please let me know. 🦋