Exercise
Warm Up
If you are
new to exercising, it is crucial that you understand the importance
of warming up before any strenuous activity.
Why should you warm
up? Once you start exercising, a number of changes occur in
your body. Your respiratory rate and blood flow will increase
and so will the levels of oxygen and nutrients transported to
your cells.
To
get your body ready for the increased stress caused by physical
exercise, the rate at which these functions increase should
be gradual and steady. If you don't do this, you will be operating
less efficiently and you won't get as good results as you would
like.
One very important
aspect of the warm up is the fact that it loosens up your muscles
and joints and this helps protect them against injury. In addition,
a warm up enables your heart to adjust to more strenuous activity,
which is very important if you aren't used to exercising, especially
if you are older.
How can you ensure
that you warm up correctly? You can start off by engaging in
any activity which makes your heart beat more quickly. So this
could mean walking, jogging or cycling. If you are working out
in a gym, you could increase your heart rate by using the rowing
machine or a stationary bicycle.
Whichever method
you choose, you should start off very gently, and then increase
your pace gradually until the rate of your heart beat increases
and your body temperature begins to rise. It is vital to assess
your current fitness level before beginning an exercise program,
so that you know how great an increase in heart rate is safe.
You should feel energized
after a workout or exercise session and not totally exhausted.
And if you do end up exhausted, chances are you'll give up very
soon, which will not help your weight loss.
Generally speaking,
you'd expect to work up a slight sweat after about 3 or 4 minutes
of exercise. After this, move on to the next part of the warm-up,
which is stretching. Stretching is great for improving flexibility
and also protects against injury. Remember that stretching should
only been done when your muscles have already warmed up.
The stretches you
choose will vary according to what you plan to do next - some
sports recommend specific stretching exercises. So check with
your coach. If you are working out in the gym you should have
an instructor advise you on warm up stretches as well as helping
you design a workout suitable for your fitness level, age and
state of health.
After warming up
and completing your main workout, it is just as important to
cool down.
The
articles on this site are for information only and are not intended
to replace medical advice.
Images
by Geek
Philosopher
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