How to Warm Up Safely?

Everything seemed to be sailing rather smoothly as far as my new fitness goals go, but then one of my friends – one that I was hoping would be a steady jogging buddy – started getting these awful cramps in her calves, and has temporarily withdrawn from the ring. I spoke to her this morning, it seems she overstretched the muscle. Nothing big or clinical, and she’ll be fine in no time, but it’s worth noticing why it happened: a lousy warm up routine.

It’s true that knowing how to warm up is no complicated science and it only takes a few minutes, but at the same time, if you’re new at this fitness business, it’s likely you’ll be confused by all the info out there – a quick Google search will mostly show stuff that’s clearly for 20-something serious athletes, and that just doesn’t look like it applies for people like me. So I took the time to look for a gentler, more knowledgeable answer on how to warm up once you’ve hit your 50s.

First things first
According to experts, a good warm up should only take around 6 minutes, but you should never skip it. Also, unlike popular belief usually dictates, a pre-workout warm up is NOT about stretching, or at least not about “static stretches” (where you hold the pose). Doing this on a cold muscle is a really bad idea and can cause a serious injury. Stretching is meant to be after the workout!

1. MARCH FOR 3 MINUTES

You don’t have to go anywhere, it’s fine if you do it on the spot. It is important, however, to make a very obvious marching act, arms up and down with your steps and all. Also, try marching backwards for at least a minute.

2. 60 HEEL DIGS

The idea here is to place one heel to the front, with the toes pointing up, while the other leg stays only slightly bent. Just punch out each heel for a second or two, alternating quickly.

3. 20 KNEE LIFTS

This move often gets overlooked, but it’s awesome to get the blood flowing to your thighs. Simply stand tall, and bring up one knee so you can tough it with the opposite hand, then immediately alternate. If you feel kind of dizzy, try to do this near a wall.

4. ROLL THE SHOULDERS

Straightforward enough, but very important if you work a desk job. Roll your shoulders 5 times forward, then the same backwards. I actually do this all the time at work, since it prevents shoulder and neck aches.

5. 10 KNEE BENDS

These are essentially incomplete squats: place your feet shoulder-width apart, stretch out your hands, and lower yourself just 3 or 4 inches by bending your knees. Make sure you don’t slouch, though, so you can use this to gather momentum and start running.

That’s it! It’s all very quick, but it can save you a lot of pain in the future. I’m trying to lose the inhibitions now, and looking to do my warm ups to the rhythm of music – dancing will be next month’s thing, as it’s got so many benefits!