Warm-up prepares the body for exercise and prevents injury, while cool-down helps your heart rate and breathing to return to normal.
Therefore, both are important to attain the desired fitness level. But some people simply ignore it or fail to perform it correctly.
This one decision actually wreck up their entire workout. Here is the most common mistake people make while exercising:
1. Skipping the warm-up
We all are in a hurry to finish our workout, especially when we have a busy schedule. But warm-up is an essential part of a workout routine. It raises your heart rate, pumps oxygenated blood to your muscles and also raises core body temperature. It actually prepares your body for exercise.
2. Not warming up long enough
We stretch for two minutes and think we are good to go. This is the biggest mistake we all make. As per the American Heart Association, a person should warm-up for at least 5 to 10 minutes before performing any exercise.
3. Performing the same warm-up
“No one size fits all”- this is apt even when you are exercising. For every workout, you should perform a different kind of warm-up, targeting the muscle of that specific area. Unless you are doing the same exercises, your warm-up routine needs some modification.
4. Not cooling down properly
You might think that not cooling down after a workout will save you some time, but it will actually hurt your muscles. Avoiding this essential step may increase soreness and even cause blood pooling. Cooling down properly after a workout helps the body to initiate the repairing process.
5. Not stretching properly
Most people skip their workout because of muscle soreness. One method to reduce muscle soreness is to stretch for the right amount of time after your workout routine. Stretching helps to get relief from this pain and stiffness. Keep in mind that stretching should never be painful. If you feel any pain then talk to a qualified professional.
6. Starting with too much intensity
Your warm-up must be done at a slow pace and should be gentle. Starting with lots of intensity will strain and tear your muscle.
7. Stopping workout suddenly
Like warm up, cool down should also be performed at a slow pace. Jumping from the treadmill and starting a high-intensity stretching is not going to help you anyway. Slow down your intensity gradually to end your session. If you’re running, then start jogging, then brisk walk and then slow down. This will help your body to calm down properly.
Effects of warming-up on performance
Still, more research is needed to determine the negative and positive aspects of warming-up on an individual. As per a study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to review the effect of warm-up, it was found that stretching before a workout improved performance in 79 percent of the cases. But the positive changes were visible only in people who completed adequate warm-up activities. There is little evidence to prove that warming up is detrimental to sports participants.Moreover, the study was conducted in a well-controlled and random manner. Hence, more research is needed to know how warming-up enhances an individual’s performance.
