Warming up is just what the name implies: doing an
exercise that helps to elevate your body’s core temperature.
This needs to be done before anyone proceeds to more strenuous physical activities. An effective warm-up
routine need not be complicated. Just the opposite, in fact:
the simpler the better.
Warming up activates the enzymes responsible for the
many chemical reactions that occur during physical
exercise. The body’s energy system depends on those
enzymes and, until they’re released, the energy system will
not function properly. This is why an athlete feels sluggish
at the beginning of a workout if he’s failed to warm
up properly. In addition, a warm-up routine helps the
body deliver more oxygen to the muscles. Hemoglobin
is responsible for transporting oxygen to the working
muscles, and it’s able to do the job more effectively when
the muscle fibers are warm. The slightly higher temperature
creates a positive pressure between the muscles
and bloodstream, allowing more oxygen to go where it’s
needed. An elevated body temperature enhances the
entire cardiovascular system by helping the arteries, veins
and capillaries deliver nutrients and carry away waste
products more expeditiously.
One of the real pluses of warming up that is frequently
overlooked is that it also benefits the nervous system.
Research has shown that a higher core temperature clears
the way for the body to be able to read and receive nerve
impulses. This is of particular importance to anyone doing
high-skill exercises in his or her program, such as Olympic
lifters and those who include power cleans, power
snatches, high pulls or any other dynamic exercises in their
weekly routines.