Warming up before exercise has been the subject of all kinds of change across the decades.
In the personal training world there are all kinds of different voices making suggestions… some people are saying that stretching is important. Other people say not so. Some say you should stretch, but only at certain times.
The good news is that there’s a lot of very credible research out there in the fitness space, so we can look at how the scientific community views warm ups and take advice on how best to prepare the body for exercise. Fundamentally that’s all a warm up is - a prep phase for what is about to come.
The evolution of warm ups…
If you cast your mind back to school PE lessons (well, if your teacher was anything like mine), a warm up would consist of standing by the side of a freezing cold pitch, perform a few stretches and then away you go - you’re playing!
It was amazing that there were fewer injuries - I think the only reason the injury rates were relatively low is because kids are basically made of elastic, so the injury frequency is a lot lower generally.
As time went on, it became more understood that you needed to ‘warm up’ the body properly, which is where the introduction of low intensity cardio came in. Gentle jogging, cross trainer use, rowing machines before a workout - they became increasingly important, for good reason.
In sporting circles, pre-event cardio became a feature too. Rather than standing by the side of a pitch stretching, you’d see players performing running drills and getting warm that way.
The stretching issue…
Stretching is another aspect of warm ups that have evolved significantly over the last few decades.
For many years there was one type of stretching - static stretching, where you bent into a stretch position and held it for a given period of time, usually anywhere between 10 and 30 seconds. As research into the area grew, it became apparent that static stretching wasn’t a great idea before exercise, simply because it doesn't really reduce injury risk.
As the research around stretching grew, we had improved recommendations. The type of stretching suggested now moved from static stretching to dynamic stretching - a type of stretching where you progressively elongate the muscles and work through a more functional range of movement. The results from the labs were consistently positive in terms of the improvement of range of movement and reduction in muscle stiffness.
When to stretch? The debate…
The general trend of the science shows that the best time for stretching is after a muscle is warm - this can be achieved actively (cardio/movement) or passively (sauna, warm bath/shower etc). We know this because blood flow increases flexibility and range of movement, but also it reduces the injury risk significantly.
Research shows us that when muscles are cold (which can happen outside in winter sports), the risk of injury is increased significantly. To reduce the risk, spend time making sure your muscles are warm before you do any kind of stretching. Whether you’re a runner, a football, rugby, hockey, golf player or any other outdoor sport, never stretch until you’ve done a warm up.
Some people don’t like to stretch at all, citing research that claims there’s a detrimental impact on muscle performance post stretching.
The counter argument to this claim is that muscle stiffness can have a much more severe detrimental effect on performance that any minor loss of power or strength post-stretching. The research does note that the loss in muscle function is very small, so it’s unlikely to make a big change to amateur sporting ability.
Movement based warm up…
If you’re warming up for a sporting event, there’s some credible research showing that you will benefit from a movement based warm up. This is one that gradually warms the body by the usual principles, but then adds in specific movement and technique drills.
This kind of warm up is effective because it doesn’t just warm the body - it practices movements and techniques, which has the effect of stimulating the neural system and warming that up too. It’s not just a case of warming the body, it’s also a practical way of warming up the movement patterns and specific timings ahead of the activity being undertaken.
So what’s the best warm up advice? The bottom line…
Based on what we have discussed here, a warm up should be based on what you’re about to do. A specific warm up is far more effective than a general warm up when you’ve got an activity to undertake. There are some commonalities, which are…
A gentle cardio element. This warms the body, most specifically the muscles and connective tissues that are about to be used. Always do this first.
Dynamic stretching. This is superior to static stretching, because it helps to reduce stiffness of a muscle and increase range of movement.
Movement specific warm ups. If you are taking part in a specific activity, such as throwing or jumping, warm up for this in particular. Take the time to work your body through specific drills to get it ready.
If you are in a gym, stages 1 and 2 here are applicable, then with number 3 you can adapt. You can perform a warm up set at the start of each exercise with an empty bar or light pair of dumbbells. It has the same effect - it practices a movement pattern, but at the same time it does so at low risk because of the light weight.
The AdMac Fitness personal training studio is in Bow, E3. We have personal trainers with a range of specialities, so we can offer the ideal personal trainer to help you achieve your goals. For more information on who we are, what we do and how we can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, contact us on… 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!