Eager to exercise and get fit?
You might not want to spend the few minutes it takes to warm up before you totally dive into your high-intensity workout. But as it happens, not warming up can actually be harmful to your health, and make your workout less effective.
Here are five reasons you should always do a solid warm-up before you really get into exercising.
1. Dilation of Blood Vessels
Doing some gentle exercises before you really push it, like a slow jog, jumping jacks or a brisk walk, can help increase the diameter of your blood vessels. So that when you do ramp it up, your circulatory system is prepared for the onslaught of blood rushing through it as your heart rate increases.
Dilated blood vessels also mean that your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through your body, meaning better circulation, better performance, and less stress on your heart.
2. Increased Body Temperature
There’s a reason a warm-up is called a warm-up – it actually increases the temperature of your body! This makes your muscles looser and more flexible, which can both prevent injury and ensure that they’re moving at their best once you increase your speed and power.
Increasing your core temperature also helps your nerves transmit signals more efficiently, leading to better coordination and muscle contraction.