If you’ve ever been to any kind of sporting event, you have probably seen athletes before the game doing warm ups. Whether it’s stretching, jogging, or just basic movements to loosen the body, warming up is vital to maximizing your performance. Not only that, but it goes a long way towards preventing injury. If you skip your warm up, you’re only putting yourself at risk.
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3 Reasons You Should Warm Up Before Exercising
1. Heightened performance
By stretching or lightly jogging, you are loosening up your muscles and joints and increasing your flexibility. This allows you to lift weights more easily and run more effortlessly. It also prepares your body for more intense workouts to come which leads us to our next point, injury prevention.
2. Lower risk of injury
By stretching your muscles, you are loosening them up which lowers the likelihood of pulling or tearing one during your workout. If you go in cold, with tight, unstretched muscles, they are more prone to inflammation and straining. With higher muscle and joint elasticity, you will be able to move more freely without getting yourself hurt.
3. Greater mental preparedness
Your physical workout requires just as much mental strength as it does bodily strength. Give yourself time to remember why you’re pushing yourself and what your goals are. By taking ten minutes to stretch and get loose, you will prepare your mind and get in “the zone”. You can also use this time to plan out your workout if you haven’t already.
Next time you go to the gym, go for a run, or go shoot hoops, take a few minutes to prepare your body and mind! We promise you won’t regret it.