Spring often features wet outdoor surfaces and a chance for nearly all types of weather conditions. Many of us are switching gears from indoor to outdoor exercise and fitness activities, including the Girls on the Run team members and coaches. Bodies need a chance to adapt to these new and changing conditions, so warm-ups are especially important at this time.
“During a warm-up, multiple body systems are primed for exercise,” said Dr. Katherine Fox, an SSM Health sports medicine physician. “Our cardiovascular system gets a jump start. Most athletes would agree that it's easier to start a light walk or jog versus an all-out sprint. By raising our heart rate with a warm-up, we increase the blood supply to our skeletal muscles and get them ready for exercise.”
What is a neuromuscular warm-up?
Dr. Fox says rather than basic stretching, we should try something called a neuromuscular warm-up.
“The goal of a neuromuscular warm-up program is to enhance the communication between our nervous system and our skeletal muscles,” noted Fox. “It involves coordinated movements beyond simple stretching such as balance training, agility drills, functional strength movements, and plyometrics- exercises that involve rapid and explosive movements.”
The goal is to mimic sport-specific movements and ease into our activity. Examples of this type of warm-up include:
- lunges
- jumping jacks
- single leg balance drills
- tandem gait (heel-to-toe walking where heel is placed directly in front of the toe of the supporting foot)
- squats
Are warm-ups important for everyone or just athletes?
“Everyone should engage in a pre-exercise warm-up. It prepares the body mentally, cardiovascularly, and neuromuscularly. It is especially important to warm-up for sports and exercise that we do not do on a regular basis or have just started after a period of time off from that activity,” explained Dr. Fox.
One thing to remember… don’t skip the warm-up
Warm-ups can prime the mind-body connection which will reduce injuries, improve performance and keep us motivated long term. Yet if you do sustain an injury, the SSM Health sports medicine team provides comprehensive care, ensuring that you get back to the activities you enjoy most.