Warming up before a workout: why and how
A warm-up isn’t just a ritual before the real workout. It has a clear physiological purpose: it raises body temperature, activates the joints, reduces the risk of injury and improves performance. Here is everything you need to know — why it works and how to do it properly.
Why is a warm-up important?
The effects of a warm-up go well beyond simply “getting warm”. Here are the ten main physiological effects:
- Increases oxyhemoglobin dissociation — oxygen is released from the blood and reaches the working muscles faster, which is especially important in high-intensity work.
- Raises body temperature — warm muscles, ligaments and tendons are much more resistant to injury. Cold tissues are highly susceptible to it.
- Increases blood flow to the working muscles — a better blood supply delivers glucose and fatty acids to the muscles more efficiently.
- Increases blood flow to the heart — this lowers the risk of heart problems and ischemia during training.
- Reduces muscle viscosity — lower viscosity means less resistance to contraction, so muscle work is mechanically more efficient and power output is higher.
- Gets the sweat glands working early — early sweating prevents overheating and lets the glands adapt gradually to intense work.
- Improves nerve impulse conduction velocity — neuromuscular coordination improves, which means better performance.
- Fills muscles, ligaments and tendons with blood — greater elasticity makes movement safer, especially in exercises that involve stretching.
- Prepares the cardiovascular system — the body has time to adapt to the increased demand for oxygen and blood.
- Prepares the muscles for intense work — a warm-up acts as a bridge between rest and serious training, and helps prevent the excessive fatigue and drained feeling that would otherwise come with hard training.
Source: Bryant, Cedric X. (1999). 101 Frequently Asked Questions About “Health & Fitness” and “Nutrition & Weight Control”. Sagamore Publishing.
How to warm up properly
First of all, stretching is not a warm-up! Although it is a very important part of one. The goal is, quite literally, to raise your body temperature by 1–2 degrees. A proper warm-up has three phases:
- I General warm-up
- II Warm-up stretching
- III Sport-specific warm-up
It is very important to do the general warm-up before stretching. Stretching cold muscles is not a good idea — it is more likely to raise the risk of injury than lower it.
The three phases of the warm-up in detail
I General warm-up
The general warm-up has two parts: joint circles and aerobic activity — in exactly that order.
Joint circles start the warm-up. Make slow circular movements, both clockwise and counterclockwise, until the joint moves freely rather than stiffly and jerkily. The circles lubricate the joint with synovial fluid, which helps it function much better. Start from the toes and work upward, or from the fingers and work downward:
- fingers
- wrists
- elbows
- shoulders
- neck
- waist
- hips
- legs
- knees
- ankles
- toes
After the joint circles, do at least five minutes of aerobic activity — jogging, jumping rope, a stationary bike or similar. The aim is to activate the cardiovascular system and increase blood flow to the muscles. Increased blood flow promotes flexibility, helps improve performance and reduces the risk of injury.
II Warm-up stretching
Stretches fall into two types: static and dynamic — and the static ones should come before the dynamic ones. Otherwise, dynamic stretches can overstretch the muscles, wearing them out too much before the main workout even begins. Doing static stretches first reduces this risk.
Static warm-up stretches — do them slowly, gently and in a relaxed way. Start with the back, then move on to the rest of the upper body, followed by the lower body:
- back
- sides
- neck
- forearms and wrists
- triceps
- chest
- glutes
- inner thighs
- quadriceps and hip abductors
- calves
- front of the lower leg
- hamstrings
- insteps
Dynamic warm-up stretches follow the static part — light movements for the legs and arms in different directions. According to Kurz and Acute, you should do enough sets to reach the maximum range of motion of the joints you will be working — but don’t tire your muscles out with the stretching itself. It’s only a warm-up, after all; the serious training is still ahead.
III Sport-specific warm-up
In the final part of the warm-up, do exercises that match the main activity of your workout — but at low intensity. This gradual increase in intensity improves coordination, balance and reaction time, and reduces the risk of injury. In the gym, this means working up to your working weight gradually, pyramiding through sets.
In short — the correct order of a warm-up:
- Joint circles
- Aerobic activity (low intensity)
- Static stretching
- Light dynamic stretching
- Sport-specific warm-up (in the gym: gradual pyramiding)
FAQ
Does stretching replace a warm-up?
No. Stretching is part of a warm-up, not the warm-up itself. First you need to raise your body temperature with joint circles and aerobic activity — only then should you stretch. Stretching cold muscles increases the risk of injury.
How long should a warm-up last?
The general recommendation is 10–15 minutes. The aerobic part should last at least five minutes, with static and dynamic stretches and a sport-specific warm-up added on top.
Is a warm-up necessary before a light workout too?
Yes. Even for a low-intensity workout, a warm-up reduces the risk of injury and helps your muscles work more efficiently. A shorter warm-up will do, but it’s not worth skipping entirely.
From the translator: A nice, simple and wonderfully clear article on warming up. Why did I translate it? Because I believe that many people, if not most, really have no idea what a proper warm-up looks like. They do something — some circles, some stretches — but in what order and for what purpose, and what function each part of the warm-up serves, isn’t known all that precisely. For us lifters and bodybuilders, the sport-specific warm-up is gradually pyramiding up through sets with progressively heavier weights until the working sets! And in fact this kind of warm-up is universal and, I believe, applies in every discipline — whether people can be bothered to do it is another matter.
Translated by: Janar Rückenberg
Source: Turg.Fitness.ee
Come and train! ArtGym
