3. Scientific warm-up methods
(1) The importance of warm-up
Warming up before exercising is crucial. Warming up your heart rate allows your body to gradually adjust to the upcoming exercise intensity and prepare your heart and other organs. At the same time, warming up can improve range of motion, increase joint flexibility, and reduce the risk of joint sprains caused by sudden movements. Studies have shown that adequate warm-up increases joint range of motion by about 10% on average. In addition, warm-up can also promote blood circulation, deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, improve the efficiency of the muscles, and reduce the probability of sports injuries. For example, without warming up before high-intensity exercise, the risk of muscle strain may increase by 30%.
(2) Specific warm-up methods
- Body stimulation training
- Cardiopulmonary activation: You can do some simple brisk walking, jogging or jumping jacks, high leg lifts and other exercises to activate your own blood circulation system, such as the function of the heart and lungs. It usually lasts 1 to 2 minutes to avoid exhaustion. For example, jumping jacks in an indoor venue can quickly raise your heart rate and get your body into motion.
- Range of motion training
- You can do some joint movement exercises, such as rotating the wrist and ankle, moving the neck and waist, etc., to ensure that each joint is fully moved. Taking the wrist joint as an example, rotating it 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise can effectively increase the flexibility of the wrist and prepare it for subsequent movements.
- Muscle stretching
- Static muscle stretching method: without relying on reaction force and the help of an assistant, slowly stretch the muscles and tendons of the target area to a position where you feel sore, swollen and painful and slightly exceed the position by relying only on your own movement and posture, and the rest time is generally greater than 10 seconds. It is divided into active stretching and passive stretching. Active stretching requires the stretcher to rely on their own strength to complete the exercise from start to finish for more than 10 seconds. Passive stretching is an external force applied by others, and the range of motion is increased with the help of peers or weight-bearing with the help of external force.
- Dynamic muscle stretching: Dynamic stretching refers to a stretching exercise in which the trainer repeats an action multiple times with additional movement or reaction force in an orderly, fast-moving, and progressively increasing range of movements. This method can enhance the elasticity and flexibility of muscles and improve the viscosity of muscles, but it has the disadvantages of high energy consumption, easy strain of soft tissues, high exercise intensity, and easy fatigue.
- PNF muscle stretching method: PNF is generally translated as “proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation method”, which is an exercise method that uses kinesthetic, postural sensation and other stimuli to be assisted by passive or active assistance, which can enhance the relevant neuromuscular response and promote the corresponding muscle contraction. The physiological basis of PNF drafting is the stretch reflex mechanism, and training is safe and effective.