Warmups are as important to bodybuilding as lifting weights are. Before you begin your training – be it weightlifting or just a regular cardio session, warm-ups should always be considered a crucial part of the regime. They are an indispensable precursor before beginning any physical activity as they help mitigate the risk of having any injuries.

Sometimes, due to the lack of time or will, people often think that it is okay to skip a prolonged session of warm-up before their workout. This practice should always be omitted since it helps your exercise routine to work out in your favor. A good session of warm-up helps prevent any risk of injury, here’s how:

How does a warm-up session reduce the risk of injuries?

Warming up before you begin your workout should be something that you never skip. It is a significant part because a good warm-up session can help prevent your body from severe injuries, as it stretches your muscles and joints, profoundly prepares your body, and makes it ready for the intense physical activity it will engage in.

There have been several researches conducted and most of them show that athletes who warm up have a lower risk of injury while engaging in any physical activity. Activating all your muscles, and giving them an idea about what is about to come, helps in opening up your joints, allowing them to easily engage in the exercises, and averts your body from severe injuries.

Well, how it prevents injuries is because it has several other benefits, which together align with why having a warm-up session is immensely beneficial for your body.

Benefits of having a warm-up session before your workout

• Helps increase blood flow

A good prolonged session of warm-ups helps in enhancing the circulation of blood to the muscles, which allows the body temperature to rise. The entire procedure makes sure that the suppleness of muscles and joints is improved which makes them more flexible allowing easy free movements in the body.

• Helps in delivering oxygen to the muscles

Allowing the muscles in your body to warm up before they begin lifting heavy weights in the course of your workout routine prepares them for the workload and makes them more efficient in the process by increasing the blood flow to them. With the rise of temperature in the body, the haemoglobin releases more oxygen enhancing the volume of the lungs, allowing you to do a better cardio session.

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•  Enhances your performance

One of the primary reasons why most elite athletes make sure that they spend at least a good thrift of minutes warming up their body before the workout session is because it trains the heart and mind and prepares them beforehand for all the extra manual labor that will be executed in the regime. This helps to boost performance and enhance flexibility of the joints and muscles, making sure that your body has a better speed and rate of adaptability.

• Helps prevent stiffness

Cold muscles and joints often tend to get stiff, right after your rest session, which if not fixed, might lead to discomfort or a severe injury during your workout. A detailed warm-up session allows you to alleviate the stiffness by helping the synovial fluid flow, which lubricates the joints and ensures that the movements are smoother.

Here’s a list of guidelines for you to design the perfect warm-up

Always start your warm-up session with a good systematic cardio. You can do jogging, or cycling for a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes. This enables you to increase your heart rate and blood flow, which warms up your muscles and prepares your body for the upcoming session, and makes the workout easier.

After you are done with a good session of cardio, go through an extensive session of stretching. This allows you to activate your muscles and joints giving them full range of motion. This gives you flexibility and mobility in the body. 

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Warming up before you get into your workout helps boost your overall performance, and also helps provide your body with more flexibility and mobility. What is your ideal warm-up session? Let us know in the comments section below!