WES’ WARM-UP ADVICE – WHY IT MATTERS

October 23, 2019

Pittsburgh Fitness Project

PFP trainer, Wes Hall, offers his advice on the importance of warming up before we exercise. Why do we bother? How long should we really spend getting ready to workout?

WARM-UP STYLES

When it comes to warmups, you’ll find two camps.

On one hand, you’ll have someone who likes to come in, swing their arms around, touch their toes and hop right into their first exercise. Or they do nothing at all. On the other hand, you’ll have someone who warmups up for an hour before even starting their workout.

Both camps have shortcomings.

WHY IT MATTERS

Warmups and movement prep get your body fully prepared for a workout and help prevent injuries!

Essentially, your warmup should put you in a better position to perform your workout optimally. You want to regain the range of motion that you lost during the day so you can take full advantage of your training.

If you spend your day sitting rounded over a keyboard, your warmup may include some drills to open up your chest and shoulders. Some hip activation will wake up your hips because they haven’t been used all day.

On the opposite side of that coin, you don’t want to be spending too long on a warmup. If you need an hour to warm up to get into a certain position, then you need the guidance of a trainer to help with your body mechanics.

WHAT’S A GOOD WARM-UP?

A good warmup consists of 3-5 exercises designed to target areas that will be used during the workout. It should get your heart rate elevated and should last around 15 minutes at most!

Keep it simple.

If you need help with an exercise program, sign up for a fitness evaluation with Wes. Schedule a time to meet him through the following link.