Why You Should Warm Up Before You Work out

Several months ago, I made a post on Instagram that asked, “if you haven’t worked up a sweat during your warmup, was it an effective warm up?”  Do you do any sort of warm up when you work out? If so, what sort of warm up do you do to prep yourself for your work out?  I see a lot of static stretching when I go to the gym and a little foam rolling. The most common thing I see though, is people jumping onto a “cardio machine” and doing 10 minutes of the bike or elliptical and that’s their warmup, they are ready to start lifting.  I remember my dad always constantly being on me about warming up for my races when I ran track in high school. He would always tell me I was doing it wasn’t enough.  Of course, he was right (insert eyeroll).  I ended up straining a quad that lingered for months.  Being stubborn kids, we don’t understand the importance of many things at the age.  However, having suffered a groin strain as an adult playing softball on a chilly Arizona evening after stepping too quickly, I gained a whole new perspective on the importance of warming up.

So why is warming up so important? As you start to move, your heart rate increases resulting in an more oxygenated blood being delivered to the muscles.  This causes an elevated body temperature.  More blood flow to the muscles means more oxygen to the muscles, which allows them to work better.  It allows for better muscle contractions and more elasticity in the tissue.  This also helps prep your nervous system for the demands your about to place on your body.  My favorite thing to compare it to is a car that has sat overnight in freezing temperatures.  For the folks that have lived in an area where it snows, you know that it is imperative to warm up your car before you drive it.  In order for an engine to run smoothly it must have oil circulating through it. Oil helps lubricate all the moving metal pieces inside the engine of your car and ensures that components within the engine turn smooth while minimizing friction. So, if you immediately drive your car first thing in the morning in a freezing climate without warming it up, over time, it can ruin your engine.   If the car is warm and oil is circulating, the car’s engine will optimally run.  The body works the same way.  Baseball pitchers don’t sit in dugout until they are called to pitch the same way sprinters don’t sit until it’s time for their race.  Power lifters don’t just throw 400lbs on the bar and dead lift it.

While I do think that breaking a sweat during a warmup is a good sign that your body temperature has increased, it is important that the warmup be tailored to the work out you are doing.  Breaking a sweet on a stationary bike is not going to prep your muscles for a heavy bench press.  Static stretching isn’t going prep you for the heavy load you are about to lift.  In fact, it might negatively affect your ability to safely go through a lift.  I personally am not a fan of static stretching.  Your warmup should be specific to whatever it is you are going to be working out.  If you need to be able to move quickly, run and make sudden quick transitions for a sport, then foam rolling and dynamic mobility is probably your best option.  If you are going to be squatting heavy than you will likely want to have a warmup that’s tailored towards hip mobility and glute engagement.  You can also include air squats and then get under the bar and doing 20 light reps to see how it feels. The unloaded version of the movements gives you the opportunity to assess how your body is feeling with the movement. Does it feel good? Does something feel stiff? Are you not feeling a certain muscle engage when it should?  These are all things that may we worth considering, depending on you work out.  By doing this and spending a little more time warming up, you are going to perform better, feel better and increase your longevity. 

 Have you ever injured yourself from not warming up properly? Have you ever pulled a muscle? Do you need guidance on what you should being doing to warm up when you work out?  Here at Torrez Physical Therapy and Wellness, our lines are always open, shoot us a message on Facebook at Torrez Physical Therapy and Wellness, Instagram @torrezptandwellness, or chat with me directly from my website www.torrezptw.com I would love to hear about everyone’s workouts.

Yours truly,

 Dr. T, PT, DPT

“It’s not an issue, until it’s an issue”