Written By: Jen Palaia, Regional Director
Being short on time is always an issue for so many of us…
If we only have 30 minutes to workout, most people will jump right into their workout routines without a proper warmup. What most people don’t realize is not warming up properly can put yourself at risk for injuries and strain on your muscles.
We at SportsCare Physical Therapy educate all of our patients on a proper Dynamic Warm-up. To simplify, a dynamic warm-up is a sequential series of movements performed prior to physical activity.
It aims to increase blood flow to the muscles, increase functional mobility, maximize available flexibility of the entire body and prepare the body for the activity/sport.
Read the rest of this blog post to learn more about the benefits of warming up, and some top stretching tips.
Dynamic Stretching vs. Static Stretching:
Dynamic stretching is different from static stretching as it is based on movement, whereas static stretching is holding a stretch for a length of time typically 30 to 120 seconds.
Dynamic stretches tend to mimic the sport or activity to come and are short stretches with moving in and out of motions. Examples include jumping jacks, arm circles, hip circles/clocks, lunging forward and back, air squats.
Benefits of Warming Up & Dynamic Stretching Before a Workout:
- Reducing Risk of Injury: # 1 focus should ALWAYS be injury prevention!
- Improving Range of Motion
- Improving Overall Performance
- Improving Mental Readiness
- Reducing Muscle Soreness
Examples of Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises for Injury Prevention:
Knee to Chest Walks
Walking Quad Strech
Walking SLR
Walking RDL
Lunge with Rotation
Lateral Lunge
Inchworm Walk-Out
How Long Should My Dynamic Warm-Up Be?
Typically, a good dynamic warmup is no more than 5-10 minutes. If you are feeling stiff or recovering from an injury a longer dynamic warm-up is recommended.
SportsCare Physical Therapy is here to help you improve your health and get the most out of your physical activity. Our therapists can help design a proper dynamic warm-up and stretching program that suits your needs & can prevent serious injuries.
