Although it is well known that you should not exercise directly after a cold-start, not many people know how to warm up appropriately. The so called "start from 0 to 100" should be avoided because...
Although it is well known that you should not exercise directly after a cold-start, not many people know how to warm up appropriately. The so called "start from 0 to 100" should be avoided because of the negative effects on your cardiovascular and musculosceletal system (joints, tendons, muscle).
Simple actions help you to achieve the adequate blood circulation of muscles, tendons and joints as well as the adaptation of the blood pressure and the tension of the myocardial muscle. Depending on what kind of sport you are doing, you should chose different warm-up programs. Regarding endurance sports such as hiking, ski mountaineering and climbing, you should start to exercise slowly for the first five minutes, whereas in the following 15 minutes you can increase your speed to the desired level, your body will warm up in a healthy way. If you need certain "power components" e.g. alpine skiing on a slope or a long ski-run, it is recommended to start with the following warm-up exercises:
- "Stimulation of the circulation" by running or jumping while stretching
- Rotate the shoulders forwards and backwards
- Rotate the hips
- Jump from the crouch (hip-, knee- and ankle joints are trained)
It should be mentioned, that neither a reduction of injuries or muscle ache nor an improved performance due to stretching can be scientificly proven. Thus it is left to one`s own opinion what to think about stretching exercises...