Do you ever feel like you are coming into the gym feeling lethargic, muscles feel tight and feeling very tired in general
An easy way to remove some of these barriers is by coming in 5-10 minutes before your scheduled workout and incorporating a warm-up before the beginning of your workout.
Warming up is a key fundamental tool that will effectively help prepare your body for physical activity. Therefore you may ask what should I do to warm up.
Research Suggests that the goal of a warmup is to increase joint range of motion (ROM) and enhance muscle force there the most appropriate way to do this is to do dynamic stretching (1).
Dynamic stretching are active movements where joints and muscles go through a full range of motion
Examples of dynamic stretching before a workout
-Light aerobic activity ( 5 min walk)
-Controlled single joint movements (leg swings)
-Basic Fundamental movement pattern’s ( squats, lunges, push-ups)
Remember, to keep your warm up exactly that, a warm up. It should not tap into your performance for your actual work out, rather prime you mentally and physically for it.
Reference:
(1)Opplert J, Babault N. Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Muscle Flexibility and Performance: An Analysis of the Current Literature. Sports Med. 2018 Feb;48
(2):299-325. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0797-9. PMID: 29063454.