How should I warm up before exercise!

Correspondent | Thursday December 1, 2016 16:18

This means that your muscles will be able to move more easily.

Warm ups should involve gentle activity.

Make sure you are warming up the muscles that you will be using during your work out or sports training. 

For example if you are a runner, warm up your leg muscles. If you lift weights, warm up your arms, shoulders and upper body.

 

Here are some warm up tips:

Skip gently for 1- 5 minutes. This is a great way to warm up as you use lots of different muscle groups.

Go for a gentle walk or jog. It’s a great way to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for exercise. Do this with friends as you can socialise while you walk or jog, and encourage each other.

Make sure you do some gentle muscle stretches as part of your warm up, especially if you are doing a high speed or intensive work out. You should hold stretches for between 10 -15 seconds, as long as this feels comfortable for you.

Start by holding stretches for five seconds and progress as your body gets more used to exercise.

Don’t bounce as you stretch, as this can cause an injury.

If you’re unsure how to do stretches correctly, try joining a sports club or visiting your local gym for advice.

 

Heart Foundation of Botswana

Gaborone