Warming Up For Dummies

When it comes to exercising, warming up and cooling down is arguably more important than the exercise itself. Not warming up before you go for that morning run will not only significantly increase the risk of injury, but will also limit the effectiveness of your run as your body will take a lot longer to warm up.

Skip the post workout routine and you can all but guarantee increasingly sore muscles throughout the week and slow recovery time. So if you are new to the fitness game, here is what you need to know. 

Outside the gym: Start your session with a light jog. While it may be tempting to go straight into your push ups and sit ups, a 3-minute jog is all it takes to warm your body up. 

Follow your light jog with a combination of gentle lunges and squats for 2 minutes. Finally, don’t forget to work on your upper body by stretching your arms and back. All it takes is 15 seconds per stretch to make a world of difference to your form and recovery.  

Inside the gym: Always try and start your gym session with a spot of cardio.

With endless cardio machines available there is no excuse not to get the heart racing for 10 minutes before you pick up the weights. This means 10 minutes on the treadmill, cross-trainer or bike.

Think of it as the time it takes to listen to two to three of your favourite tracks to get you pumped for that weights session. By the end, you should have worked up a light sweat.

Follow this up with 20 gentle squats and 20 step-ups on each leg. As with your outdoors routine, ensure you stretch your entire body including your arms, legs, shoulders and back, holding each stretch for around 15 seconds.