If you have decided that this is the year to get your yummy body of your youth back, good for you! There are plenty of benefits to regular exercise, including weight loss and maintenance, stronger bones and muscles and a healthier cardiovascular system. (And you will look fabulous too!) However, those first few workouts can be downright painful if you neglect an important first step in your exercise program – the warm up.

Why Warm Up?

The purpose of the warm up is to prepare all of the parts of your body – the cardiovascular system, the joints and the muscles – for the hard work that lies ahead. Warm ups will also up the body temperature which will increase the oxygen coming into the body. Warm ups can decrease the risk of injury during a workout and even enhance your performance during your exercise program. There are plenty of good reasons to warm up before working out, but what is the best way to do so?

Tailor it to your Exercise

The answer is that it may depend upon the type of workout you are preparing for. If you are going to be concentrating primarily on cardiovascular exercise, a light warm-up that begins with some comfortable walking that is followed up with some easy jogging should do the trick. If you are preparing for an aerobics session, you can begin with a few gentle moves, like some steps or marching in place to get ready for the bouncing and moving that lies ahead. If you will be pumping iron in your program, you might want to combine the light aerobic workout with a few warm up sets where you work each muscle group with some lighter weights to begin.

Basic Tips to Follow

No matter what type of workout you are preparing for, there are some basic principles to follow to ensure that you are getting the biggest benefit out of your warm up time. First, always warm up for a minimum of five to ten minutes. If you have muscles that are nearly always tight when you begin your workout, a few gentle stretches beforehand might make the exercise a bit more comfortable and you will be less likely to strain already tense muscles. Never rush through your warm up, because this time that you spend will set the pace for the rest of your exercise program and allow you to complete your routine without injury or pain. Allowing your body to warm up gradually, and your heart rate to increase more slowly will better prepare your body for the harder work that is to come.

Starting on a regular exercise program is an excellent habit to get into anytime. By learning the proper ways to warm up before you begin your workout, you will be able to make the most of your exercise time.

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