You’ll Only Ever Be As Good As Your Warm Up

The Correct warm-up can help us run further, jump higher, and swim for longer. A warm-up is an integral part of any physical activity. It helps to prepare the nervous system for physical activity, increases blood flow to muscles, reduces the risk of injury and helps loosen up the body. It can even improve performance when done correctly.

Dynamic vs Static

Growing up I was told to run around the oval and then drop on the floor and hold static stretches for 30 seconds, then there was the move to dynamic stretches or “bouncing stretches” and recently the warm-up has been transformed again through the use of sport-specific movements or “dynamic warmup”.

With all these different ways to prepare for exercise out there, what is the best way to get the body ready for physical activity? Recent studies highlight the importance of a dynamic warm-up to run faster and jump higher.

Dynamic warm-ups can even be worked into our everyday lives. They are a great way to start the day by preparing our bodies for the day at hand.

Getting started

Great examples of what a quality warm-up should include