Fitness Training - The Importance of Correct Warming Up

All types of physical practice, in fitness or anyThese two stages of warming up must come
other sport, must begin with correct warming up.one after the other very strictly. It is forbidden to
This activity, together with relaxation and theswitch their order, and also to skip one of them.
main stage, are the three essential parts of theUnfortunately, it is common in sport to skip the
training.first stage and do just specific warming up, which
The types of warming up can vary a lot in length,is considered more important.
intensity and structure of exercises, according toThis is a big mistake, because this type of
the sport or the training you want to start.exercises does not rise the body temperature as
Although there are many kinds of warming up, allmuch as the ones involving minimum aerobic
of them have in common two distinct stages.effort. The result is that the body will be much
The first stage concerns general warming up,more rigid and a lot less prepared for the main
whose purpose is to gradually prepare the wholepart of the training. There are cases, especially in
body for the effort which will follow. The bodysport games, when both stages of warming up
temperature also increases. At this stage, theare abandoned. Kicking the ball or passing a few
inertia of the body is easily removed throughtimes are supposed to replace a thorough, but
aerobic exercises (running, cycling, etc.). This stageboring warming up.
should not take more than 5-10 minutes;Not doing the warming up correctly or, worse,
otherwise it will change into a real aerobic training.not doing it at all increases the risk of having
It is well known that during aerobic effort theaccidents during training or competing. Possible
body consumes a lot of glycogen, so, especiallyaccidents range from simple ones, like pulling a
before force training (anaerobic), there is the riskmuscle or cramps, to some really bad ones
of running out of energy.(ruptured muscles, hernia, sprains, dislocations,
The second stage of warming up is specific toetc.). Even if, luckily, such accidents do not
each sport. This stage aims to warm up the mainhappen, the body will experience a dramatic
muscles and joints involved in the effort, but alsodecrease of efficiency in performing the
to anticipate, by simulation, some movementsexercises.
from the main part of the training. This stage canIt is very important for beginners to do the
be longer than the first one and includes differentwarming up. If they do not ignore it when they
types of gymnastics for the joints, jumping,take up sport, they will form a habit of warming
exercises at greater speed, stretching, etc.up and will, hopefully, keep this habit as long as
However, this stage shouldn't be very long either,they do sport. They must not assume the false
because the sportsman needs to save physicalidea that, being beginners, they shouldn't exercise
energy and to avoid mental stress. In manyso intensely.
sports (target shooting, fencing, tennis, etc.),All these problems are traps that correct warming
mental stress can be bigger than physical effort.up can definitely avoid.