By Nancy Alexander, PT
I was recently asked by one of my patients in the outpatient clinic where I work why he had to do a “warm up” at the start of his visit. “I’m warmed up already, let’s get to it,” he said. When I asked him how he warmed up, he didn’t respond except to say, “Well, I got here.”
In his defense, we were talking about two different things. His definition of warming up stemmed, in part, from the fact that it was hot outside. He was, in fact, warm. Also, he had to move to get there. He drove himself and walked in from the parking lot. True, there was some movement involved to make that happen. My definition, however, was different. And once I explained it to him, he understood my perspective and agreed to get on the stationary bike to start his session.
You can bet that a moving, or dynamic warm up, is important especially as you age. Target your warm up to those structures that you plan to use. And remember, that could mean your whole body. The goal is to promote blood flow, get the muscles properly stretched out, increase flexibility and improve functional mobility in your joints.
Why gamble with your health when the benefits are many. The most important reasons to warm up dynamically is that you will increase your odds at preventing injury, help reduce muscle soreness and help to improve your overall performance. Talk about hitting the jackpot.
Getting back to my patient, he was coming to therapy for a leg condition. Therefore, riding a recumbent exercise bike provided an effective warm up for him. I wouldn’t have him warm up his arms to ultimately work his legs. The activity needs to include the muscles and joints that he will soon use. Now, if my next patient was coming in for a shoulder ailment, I could ask her to spend a few minutes on an arm bicycle (or upper body ergometer). If that was unavailable or too strenuous, I could ask her to perform pendulum exercises for a specific period of time. I could also ask her to perform bicep curls without weight in a repeated way. All of these would help promote blood flow and prime the soft tissue for more strenuous exercise.
A dynamic warm up should last between 5-15 minutes and include active tightening of your muscles while moving joints through your available range of motion. When continuing this warm up, pace can increase and you should consider increasing your joint movements to their full range of motion as able. Before performing a dynamic warm up, some experts also suggest doing 5-10 minutes of light cardiovascular movement such as marching in place or walking briskly. This can also count as a dynamic warm up regardless of pace.
Let’s explore more deeply the three benefits of the dynamic warm up:
- Decreases risk of injury
A dynamic warm up helps decrease your risk of injury because of a number of physiological changes that occur. Heart rate increases which helps prime your body systems for more intense exercises. Body systems affected include the respiratory, cardiovascular, circulatory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, neurological and digestive systems. This in turn helps you to increase body temperature, blood flow, and cardiac output.
With increased core temperature and enhanced blood flow to muscles, joint capsules and connective tissue also become more supple and elastic which allows for safer and more effective movement. What this really means is that a dynamic warm up decreases muscle stiffness. Alternately, failure to adequately warm up increases your risk of muscle strains, excessive tendon and ligament stress and other general movement issues.
2. Helps prevent muscle soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common after new or intensive exercises and is especially pronounced the days after the unaccustomed exercise or activity. It typically starts the next day and can last 24-48 hours after that. It occurs at muscles, not at your joints, which is one way to discern it. Some studies indicate that DOMS may be a sign of a microscopic breakdown of the muscle. While it doesn’t feel good, it is a sign that your body is being used in new ways. And it also is considered a sign that your body is adapting to exercise and getting more fit. The soreness is caused by temporary inflammation around the microscopic muscle tears.
It is hypothesized that a warm up prior to extensive exercise will reduce DOMS by decreasing the extent of muscle damage. When muscles are warm and extensibility increased, the chance for damage is lessened. Warming up does not cure DOMS but it will deliver more blood to your muscles so they are ready to exercise and therefore reduce your soreness afterward.
3. Enhances performance
When I was growing up, a static-stretching warm up was commonplace prior to activity and sports. This included holding a stretch for up to 30 seconds to help lengthen a muscle to prime it for activity. Many years later we learned the error of our ways. Research dating back 20 years now unequivocally touts the performance benefits of a dynamic warm up prior to more strenuous activity and sports versus the static-stretch warm up.
For example, a research study back in 2006 assessed the performance of Unites States Military Academy cadets after either a dynamic warm up, static-stretching warm up or no warm up. In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, “Dynamic vs. Static-Stretching Warm Up: The Effect on Power and Agility Performance,” by McMillian et al, they reported that repeated measures analysis revealed better performance scores after the dynamic warm up for all three power and agility tests that were assessed. These scores were relative to static-stretching warm up and no warm up.
Why is it more important as you age?
Your body changes as you age. In my new book, “Get UP! Defy Aging with Movement,” I discuss the changes your body goes through as you age. Here is how aging impacts your muscular system:
Lean body mass decreases. This decrease is partly caused by a loss of muscle tissue (a type of atrophy called sarcopenia). Muscle changes often begin in the 20s in men and in the 40s in women.
Loss of muscle results in loss of mobility, agility, and flexibility.
Muscles may become rigid with age, which makes them less responsive when we need them, for example to catch a fall. This change also limits the range of motion of joints, which can make movement painful and decrease our ability to move correctly.
In my book, I also explain how movement can help you reverse what aging tries to do. In fact, movement helps reverse changes to all 11 of your body systems. Movement is surely a miracle.
Even as you age, a dynamic warm up helps improve circulation and blood flow to your working muscles and joints. This helps you decrease stiffness and improve your range of motion. And that’s exactly what you need as you age. You can double down on your winnings and improve your flexibility, agility and your mobility with use of a dynamic warm up.
What are some examples of a dynamic warm up?
What can you do to include a dynamic warm up into your activity or sports routine? Here are some ideas:
Marching in place
Knee to chest walks (high knee walk)
Heel walks
Toe walks
Heel taps
Butt kicks
Leg swings
Torso twist
Arm circles
Please visit here to see my latest video where I demonstrate all of these techniques, plus a few more (this is exclusively made available to you as a member of the Living Well Academy). Remember to warm up for 5-15 minutes prior to more intense activity or sports.
Adding a dynamic warm up isn’t just for physical therapy patients. Whether you play golf on the weekends or play pickleball three times a week, or exercise at a high intensity in the gym, you too can benefit from a dynamic warm up. By consistently adding this to your routine you will help decrease the risk of injury, help reduce muscle soreness and improve your performance. It’s the perfect trifecta for living a healthier and more active life.