One critical component of regular exercise is the warm up, yet many people simply overlook or underestimate the value of a good warm-up before getting into the full activity. One of the risks of not warming up properly is the increased chance of sustaining an injury while exercising. Not only does proper warm up allow you to reduce your chances of injury, you are also able to burn more fat when you warm up first.

When you begin to warm up before a full exercise session, this allows your muscles to increase their temperature slowly. The benefit is that as the muscles get warmer, they get more elastic and stretchy. You will also get more range of motion as your muscles increase temperature gradually. However, if you skip the warm up and go right into the activity, your muscles are cold, tight, and not ready for what is coming. This is what causes injuries in many cases, as the muscles are torn due to their not being ready for what you are doing. Some of the most common areas that are injured during exercising include the back, neck, knees, and ankles. This cannot always be prevented, but proper warm up can greatly reduce the chance of injury.

Warming up does not have to be complicated. Most of the time you can simply start off your exercise at a lower intensity. For runners, just start off walking or with a slow jog, gradually increasing your intensity over a period of 10 to 15 minutes. If you are in the gym, a brief walk on the treadmill, or spin on the bike before increasing activity will help warm up the muscles quickly. Even if you’re not sure exactly what to do, just do something!

Another benefit of warming up properly is that your body then becomes ready to efficiently burn more fat. That’s right, a warm muscle burns fat more efficiently than a cold muscle. If you start right off into an exercise at full pace, with cold muscles, your body is not ready to provide and utilize the oxygen that is necessary for the muscles to function properly. Instead, the muscle works too hard too quickly, burning sugar to try to get enough energy. This can lead to lactic acid build up, and that burning feeling in the muscle. This burning is telling you something, so you should learn to listen!

Remember to incorporate a warm-up as part of each exercise session. This can greatly reduce the chance of injury, and allow you to burn fat and utilize your muscles more efficiently. These suggestions will help you maintain a more safe and effective workout.