GET THOSE MUSCLES WARM, THEN HIT THEM HARD!!!!

The goal of the warm up is to get your blood circulating and you body temperature rising in order to prepare for higher intensity exercise. and are classified into 3 main categories: Passive, General, and Specific.

·         Passive warm-up: increase in temperature by external means. This can be done with gels, packs, heating pads, saunas, etc.

·         General warm-up: increase in temperature by nonspecific body movements. Swinging of your arms, bringing knees to your chest, jumping jacks, etc.

·         Specific warm-up: increase in temperature using similar body parts that will be used in the subsequent, more strenuous movements.

Out of these three, the best appears to be the specific warm-up because this method provides a rehearsal for the activity or event. This is why a few light sets of the exercise should be performed prior to each activity. Weight lifters have been utilizing this method for years’ performing in a few warm up sets of the lift you are doing prior to the exercise. One problem that leads to injuries with this is when lifters believe that doing a few warm ups of a specific body part will be all they need for the entire routine. 

A proper warm-up can go a long way in increasing the bodies ability to perform. Many people experience low effectiveness in their workouts due to inadequate warm up. The benefits of warming-up include:

·         Increase synovial fluid in the joints.

·         Raise body temperature.

·         Neural arousal.

·         Opening of capillaries to muscles.

·         Metabolic adjustment to heavy loads.

For your benefit, I have outlined some warm up exercises you can perform at home without any equipment:

Squat-Thrusts
Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up.

Jumping Jacks

The basic jumping jack is a good cardio and strength training exercise. It also helps in building coordination.

Side Jumps

Stand with feet together. Jump to the right several feet, keeping knees bent and landing in a squat position. Jump back to the left and continue jumping from side to side. Use a small object to jump over if you like (book, pillow etc..).

Mountain Climbers

Start on your hands and knees and get into in a sprinter’s start position. Keep your hands on the ground and push off with your feet so you alternate foot placement (run in place) as long as you can. Be sure to keep your back straight, not arched.

Shadow Boxing
Assume the position and go for a little shadow boxing. It’s really a pretty decent way to get your cardio and strength work all at once. Focus on controlled movements (not flailing punches), stay light on the balls of your feet and keep your knees bent. Practice jabs and upper cuts and all your moves. Hold a couple bottles of water for more resistance.

Kickboxing

Punch, jab and kick your way to fitness. Experience strength and cardiovascular conditioning! Kickboxing combines elements of boxing, martial arts, and aerobics to provide overall physical conditioning and toning; it is a wonderful way to warm up before you begin training. Besides keeping your body fit, kickboxing has other benefits. According to a study by the American Council for Exercise, you can burn anywhere from 350 to 450 calories an hour with kickboxing!

Here are a few kickboxing moves that you can try at home:

·         Roundhouse kick: Stand with the right side of your body facing an imaginary target with your knees bent and your feet shoulders' width apart. Lift your right knee, pointing it just to the right of the target and pivoting your body toward the same direction. Kick with your right leg, as though you are hitting the target. Repeat with your other leg.

·         Front kick: Stand with feet shoulders' width apart. Bend your knees slightly, and pull your right knee up toward your chest. Point your knee in the direction of an imaginary target. Then, kick out with the ball of your foot. Repeat with your other leg.

·         Side kick: Start with the right side of your body facing a target. Pull your right knee up toward your left shoulder, and bend your knees slightly as you kick in the direction of your target. The outside of your foot or heel should be the part that would hit the target. Repeat with your other leg.

Yoga

Get in tune with your body and feel a sense of well-being in this ancient form of movement. Strengthen, tone and stretch your body; enhance relaxation and inspire relaxation. Besides building strength and increasing flexibility, yoga helps you focus and relax your mind. Try to make the movements flow from one to the next. Hold each position for three breaths. I will expound further on yoga in subsequent articles.

Remember, warm-ups are not intended to be part of the workouts. Break a brief sweat but don't work so hard that you build up lactic acid; save your energy for the actual workout. Your tempo should be quick and to the point. This promotes blood flow and readies your heart for more work. Imagine your body as a hot rod ready to do a quarter-mile drag at full power, but in order to fulfill that potential, you need to warm up those slicks and make them nice and sticky!