1. Injury Prevention
A good warm up will increase blood flow to all of the major muscle groups which in turn improves the flexibility and elasticity in the muscles. Muscle elasticity is what prevents injuries related to strains, tears, and sprains.
2. Shift your focus to exercise
Warm up exercises are also important as a form of mental preparation. Your mind can ease into the workout. This is especially helpful if you engage in strenuous forms of exercise such as hiking or cycling a steep hill, lifting heavy weights or taking an advanced aerobics class. Your body experiences a great deal of stress during these types of activities, so an adequate warm up and mental preparation increase your chances of enduring and benefiting from the hardest part of your exercise regimen.
3. Improve Muscle Function
You might find it hard to perform some moves in a dance or yoga class, or in a workout video you have been trying out at home. This could be due to muscle control, and getting your body to do what your mind tells it to do. When your muscles aren’t warmed up, they’re rusty and therefore cannot perform the tasks you are telling them to easily. This is yet another huge benefit of warming up before any physical activity. Whether you play sports, run hurdles, or just want to be able to traverse the playground with your children better, muscle control is important
4. Fatigue Prevention
Your muscles will get you through a workout whether you warm up or not, but you probably won’t get as far, run as fast or be able to push through that intense workout as easily if you aren’t warming up before your workout. Indeed, you can get through a longer, more intense workout without feeling the pain if you get your body ready for it.
