Warm-Up Exercises for the Gym

Without proper warm-up prior to exercise, the risk of injury is greater. Specific muscles to be used in the exercise(s) you will be doing need to be warmed up, too, not just the overall body, if you want to prevent injury. And warming up your muscles and body before exercising will increase body movement efficiency, helping you get the most from your workout. Aerobics, stretching and targeting certain muscles are all necessary warm-up exercises.

Aerobics

• If your cardio/aerobic exercise plan included running 5 miles on the treadmill, your best aerobic warm-up would be running at a much slower pace, for a short distance--or even jogging in place--for a few minutes to warm-up. Walking briskly on the treadmill or gym track would be a good warm-up before dashing off on your treadmill run, too. Likewise, if you planned to get your cardio workout in with stationary bicycling, use that same exercise as your warm-up, but do it much more slowly at first, moving the same muscles that you will be using when you speed things up. Then, gradually increase the intensity of the exercise during the warm-up.

  Warming up for at least 5 to 10 minutes with the same exercise you plan to do later enables your body to get blood into the very muscle groups you plan to use much more strenuously afterward. Otherwise, you might warm-up using one approach (walking), but the muscles that would be worked in your actual cardio program (arms for rowing machines) might not have benefited from that earlier warm-up, increasing injury risk.

Stretching

• After warming up the muscles you will be using, you need to stretch them, too, but do it gently. Don't bounce during stretches. Stretching tight but warmed-up muscles will help prevent injury when you escalate the exercise intensity. Don't forget you need to inhale and exhale during the stretches. Hold your stretch for at least 10 to 30 seconds. Stretching your muscles and breathing in and out as you do will provide oxygen to the muscle groups you are about to use. Muscles need oxygen in order to operate more efficiently.

Warming Up with Weights

• Use the free weight or weight machine you plan to use in your workout as your warm-up machine. Do it right after the aerobic and stretching warm-up, but before you begin your exercise program for the day, as muscles can get cold quickly. And choose the lowest weight possible to warm up your muscles on the machine, so you don't risk injury by lifting when muscles are too cold.

  Also, you need to only warm-up the specific muscles you will use on that specific machine. Warm-up additional muscles as you will use them for the subsequent machines. That will reduce injury from cold muscles that don't have needed nutrient-rich blood or from joints not lubricated.