IS IT NECESSARY TO WARM UP BEFORE A GAME OR SPORT?

I remember during a training session sometime ago, one of us (I’ll call her studentX) developed a muscle pull. Prior to the start of the training, we all didn’t warm up before our instructor came around and we went into the proper training. Well, after that day, there’s no time “studentX” wouldn’t warm up before a practical class, even when the whole department doesn’t want to.

Imagine an athlete who wants to run a race, does he jump on the field/track and immediately starts running without warming up? No! Because, there is every tendency that he/she could develop a muscle pull.

You’d want to ask me why? Well, you’ll find out in this explanation below;

First, what is a warm-up exercise?

A warm-up is a preparatory exercise, usually undertaken before the major exercise or physical activities begin.

A warm-up can be done within 5 -10 minutes with light physical activities such as jogging, walking and stretching the part of the body used, depending on the sport being played.

Check out some benefits of you warming up before a workout or exercise proper;

A proper warm-up:

• Helps reduce the risk of injury. The body temperature increases which improves muscle elasticity and increases speed.
• Help reduce stress on the heart.
• Increases body flexibility before heavy or major training.
• Prepares a person mentally for any exercise he/she is about to undergo.
• Also engages the hormones responsible for regulating energy production.

These benefits above just answered the question ‘why?’.

After a warm-up activity, there is something also called a “ warm down exercise”. Warm down or cool-down exercises are simply exercises that helps cool the body system that is ready for a major physical activity so that there won’t be any case of feeling sick or fainting after the warm-up activities.

Warm down allows a gradual decrease of the heartbeat and other organs in the body after the warm-up.

Simple warm-down activities include;

-Stretching out the exercises that has been performed during warm up so that the body won’t be worn out for any games or sports,

-Walking around, not standing in a stationary position,

-Shaking the whole body, like my instructor will say “ shake your body like a wet dog”.

In as much as you would like to get your race going or you just want to play soccer, make sure you warm-up and also warm down before getting into the main game.

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