According to new research by Deep Heat, four in 10 people report injuries after starting a new sport and a quarter admit to skipping a warm up or cool down before and after exercise. To help, i asked personal trainers and fitness experts how best to avoid these injuries and how they recover pain-free. The older you are, the longer you need to warm up “Warming up prepares the body and mind for the workout to come,” says personal trainer and founder of Fit In Midlife Jason Smith.
An ideal warm-up lasts eight to 10 minutes, says fitness instructor Sam Parsons, who adds that you should always start with movements that elevate your heart rate. “Skipping warm-ups is common, especially in home workouts, running and swimming. Often people feel pressed for time and think skipping it will allow them to maximise their workout.
But remember it’s just as crucial as the workout itself.” “Increase blood flow to the muscles you’ll be using. For a run, dynamic stretches like leg swings, knee raises and bottom kicks are ideal.
” Doing this for around 10 minutes as a warm-up helps improve range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. “The more intense and longer the workout, the more thorough your warm up should be. Additionally the older you are, the more time you might need to properly prepare your body,” she says.
For resistance training, always warm up the muscle group you’re about to hit, even in gyms when skipping workouts is commonplace. “Be the trend setter and s.
