If you only have 30 minutes or an hour in the gym, it might seem more efficient to skip the warm-up and cool-down, and head straight into the hard-core workouts. But while these pre and post sessions don\u2019t always feel like \u201creal\u201d exercise, they do benefit long-term fitness and strength.<\/p>\n
As with your standard exercise routine, make sure you are executing the movements correctly for maximum benefits. It always helps to get a professional opinion to avoid injuries and to push your body to its full potential.<\/p>
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Why should you warm up? <\/strong><\/p> Your warm-up routine helps to pump fresh blood and oxygen to your muscles, preparing them for the workout to come. Spend 10 minutes doing full-body cardio exercises targeting major muscle groups, which will get your body ready for action.<\/p>\n Should your warm-up include stretching? Recent studies suggest that static stretching, where you hold a stretch, before exercise could do more harm than good.<\/p>\n According to Mike Lagomarsine, from Boston University, for someone doing a typical gym workout, the warm-up should not be static stretching, but instead a more dynamic, or moving, stretching. This will warm up the body by getting the heart rate elevated and move the body through a range of motion, but will do so actively.<\/p>\n Dynamic stretching could range from sessions on the treadmill or elliptical bike to jogging or jump rope. You can even start with a yoga flow as warm-up. The point is to keep moving.<\/p>\n It is equally important to pace yourself when you\u2019re warming up. Instead of launching immediately into a brisk walk, spend five to 10 minutes taking a leisurely stroll with long strides, and then increase the pace gradually.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don\u2019t skip the cool-down <\/strong><\/p>\n The last 10 minutes of your session should be focussed on cooling down your muscles and calming your heart rate.<\/p>\n According to physiotherapist, John Miller, your cool-down acts as a steady normaliser helping to remove muscle waste like lactic acid, and assist the normalising of \u2018fight and flight\u2019 chemicals such as adrenaline in your blood.<\/p>\n Miller explained that your cool-down is important to normalise your muscle length through static stretching. \u00a0It is therefore important to stretch out all the muscles you used during your exercise routine.<\/p>\n