#40NotOut |Learn the importance of warm-up exercises | Best 5-minute warm-up | #BlogchatterA2Z

The main focus of an exercise routine should centre around lifting your mood and making you feel light, bright and positive. It’s therefore pertinent to ensure that the exercise routine doesn’t injure you in any way. A proper warm-up before exercise and a complete cool-down routine post-exercise will ensure minimal injury.

When I started my health transformation journey, I started with walking. But I would get a lot of body pain after the walk and I was going nowhere with my weight loss journey.

I consulted a health professional who asked me:

Do you warm-up before exercising?

After exercising do you cool down and stretch?

I innocently stared at him, bewildered like a small child. I had never heard of warm-up and cool down. During my earlier visits to the gym, when the instructor told me to warm-up, I thought to myself, what is the point of tiring myself before an exercise?

No one told me the importance of a good warm-up and cool-down routine. I had embarked on a Health Transformation journey without knowing about the benefits of a warm-up and cool-down routine.

What is a warm-up exercise routine and why is it important?

• A good warm-up exercise routine increases range of motion and mentally prepare you for exercise.
• Warm-up exercises are a series of exercises that are aimed at increasing the body’s core and muscle temperature.
• It prevents injury, increases energy production rate that increases reflexes and lowers muscle contraction time.
• Type of warm-up varies depending on the exercise or sport you are doing.
• Even if the plan is to work out a few muscle groups, one must do a full-body warm-up.

Here is are 8 simple exercises that will help you with a quick 5-minute warm-up.

This is mainly a 5-minute quick warm-up for beginners.

As you progress through your health transformation journey, you may modify the exercises to suit the specific requirement at that time. 

Best 5-minute warm-up: (10 reps each)

• Neck rotations: slow, clockwise – 10, then slow, anti-clockwise-10
• Hip rotations: slow, clockwise – 10, then slow, anti-clockwise-10 – you can do variations with feet together or slightly apart
• Sidearm raises: Move hands up and down symmetrically – 10 times
• Arm rotations: slow, clockwise – 10, then slow, anti-clockwise-10 – you can do both hands at the same time or one by one – depends on your comfort level
• Dynamic chest: Clasp your palms together and then stretch out both your arms, pushing your chest out. This is the simplest form – there are many variations.
• Mid-back turns: Stand with both legs about one foot apart, place your hands on your hip and turn from your mid-back. Slowly – 10 times each side
• Single leg hip rotations: Stand with both legs about 6-8 inches apart, raise one knee upward then to the side and try to take it as back as you can – complete the rotation. Do this slowly, 10 times each leg. Take the support of a wall if required.
• Hops on the spot: Stand with feet 6-8 inches apart and jump on your toes. Another variation is to hop on one leg. Alternatively, you can jog on the spot for 30 seconds to a minute.

I really hope my post and the #BlogchatterA2Z series on my blogzine inspires you. 

Do write in your queries, suggestions and comments. Would love to read and respond. 

Penned by

Mayura Amarkant 

Disclaimer:

Dear Reader: You must know that I am not a healthcare expert and nor am I posing to be one through this series. I am sharing my personal experiences and journey. I urge you to speak to your healthcare professional before trying anything in this series.