3. Better Cooling
Warming up also has a slightly surprising effect: it makes you feel cooler while you’re working out. Why? It’s because as you warm up, you start to sweat. As the sweat does its job and evaporates, you start to cool off. This cooling continues as you start to sweat more.
If you don’t warm up and get your body’s cooling systems going, it will take longer for them to become active and you’ll feel hotter throughout your workout.
4. Hormone Production
Your body releases hormones when you exercise, many of which are used in the conversion of carbohydrates and fats into energy to propel your body. A warm-up causes your body to start releasing these hormones, which enables you to more efficiently transform your body into a calorie-burning machine.
Not only does this mean that your workout will be more effective in doing awesome things for your body, but you’ll also feel less tired and have increased stamina because your body won’t have to work as hard to scrounge around for fuel.
5. Mental Focus
Finally, getting a slower start to your workout helps you psychologically prepare for the challenges ahead. You can clear your mind of all of your worries and stray thoughts, and focus on getting the most that you possibly can out of your exercise session.
Increased mental focus has been shown to improve performance in tasks like lifting heavy weights, sprinting, and other forms of exercise that require intensity and concentration to power through.
What’s your favorite way to warm up before you exercise? Share your favorite warm up routines with us in the comments section!