Fitness coaches, articles in sports magazines and on the websites devoted to fitness constantly say about how it is important to do warm-up or to warm muscles before the training. It concerns any occupations: both exercises on exercise machines, and extensions. Warm-up allows to prepare muscles for the forthcoming loadings and to save them from injuries.
Why to warm muscles before the extension?
During the deep extension, muscle fibers are exposed to big loading. Unlike power or any other exercises, this loading develops not the force or endurance, but flexibility of the muscle. But at the same time muscle fibers also get microinjuries which heal during the rest period thanks to what the flexibility improves. Besides, the extension makes impact on sinews and ligaments which too gradually become more and more flexible.
Extension – very injury-causing occupation, the accidental awkward movement, too sharp rush, the wrong pose can seriously injure the muscle or stretch the sheaf. Therefore it is recommended to be engaged carefully, very slowly raising loadings. But the main thing – needs to be done before each occupation warm-up, preparing thus muscles for stretching. If before the extension of the muscle of the sinew and ligament receive small loading, it will prepare the body: blood circulation will improve, muscles will receive additional blood supply and will be provided with oxygen thanks to what the risk of injuries will decrease.
Strongly it isn't necessary to strain during warm-up performance, the problem of warm-up is to defuse tensions, to remove constraint muscles as the relaxed muscles stretch better. Also at warm-up temperature of muscle fibers increases that too promotes relaxation. The organism is physiologically adjusted on the active training, the necessary substances and hormones for energy production begin to be produced. Besides, it is mental conditioning – it is always more difficult to begin with serious exercises, and easy warm-up will allow to join in process.
How to warm muscles before the extension?
It is necessary to begin warm-up with the simplest exercises: turns of the head, rotary motions by shoulders and hands. Increase speed gradually, increase intensity small steps. Break warm-up into several stages, since the upper body and finishing lower. As warm-up before the extension it is possible to use not only the complex of simple exercises, but also the small cardiotraining – run, occupation on the exercise bike or the sports game. It is important to begin with extremely low intensity, for example, to begin run with fast walking, gradually increasing the pace. Warm-up has to last 5-7 minutes. If to find for it it is more than time, muscles can be tired and strain that doesn't promote the good extension. Pay more attention to those muscles which you are going to stretch.