Warming up is one of the most controversial and debated topics in sports and fitness in general.People usually agree that warming up is not only important but downright essential; even so, it's curious to note that very few people follow precise guidelines when they do it.Yet, thanks to scientific research in the sport sciences and the related published literature, fairly specific criteria have been defined that can vary depending on the activity to be performed and vary very little – if at all – from person to person.
THE WARM-UP: LET'S SEE WHAT IT IS
Warm-up is the generic term for the physical practice of what, before the actual physical work, is needed to create the ideal conditions for performing at your best as well as to reduce the risk of injury.After a rather general introduction to what a warm-up is and the fact that it is often done too little or done badly, let's look in more detail at why it is essential to warm up your body before physical effort. A warm-up mainly serves to reduce the risk of injury and, secondly, to optimize the expression of explosive strength and strength endurance. The mechanism behind these two effects is the same: the rise in body temperature, both core and peripheral.At the same time, the following also occur:
Joint lubrication (thanks to increased secretion of synovial fluid inside the joint capsule)
Activation of the cardiovascular system (more blood pumping and capillary opening)
Activation of the respiratory system (bronchodilation and blood supply to the alveoli)
Cellular metabolic activation of the muscles (oxygenation and enzyme activation)
To achieve a rise in body temperature – which is ideal at
about +2 °C (from 37 to 39° C) – you need to plan a warm-up that is first
general, with a larger low-intensity aerobic component, and then specific,
essentially strength-based and reproducing the exact movements while adjusting the load.
The rise in body temperature makes the muscle tissues more elastic, both
the supporting ones, such as the connective sheaths, and the contractile ones. This makes them
less susceptible to damage from sudden, uncontrolled contraction and also
more efficient in the contraction itself.
WARMING UP ARMS AND SHOULDERS: TWO EXERCISES TO GET STARTED
For the first exercise we can do forward and backward arm rotations, moving both arms at the same time.For the second exercise, we'll do arm abductions and adductions with the wrists and elbows in line with the shoulders. We'll bring the hands together and then open them, bringing the shoulder blades into full adduction. For both exercises, ten or twenty repetitions for about three or four sets are recommended. The Eathlon method recommends eating pomegranate, a food that stimulates and supports the immune system.It is a very useful fruit, especially to prevent colds and chills and to help with capillary microcirculation disorders. It also has a therapeutic action against parasitic infections, thanks to its content of pelletierine.Pomegranate has many properties, in fact it acts as:
a natural antioxidant
anticancer
anticoagulant
gastroprotective
antibacterial
vasoprotective
The last two warm-up exercises are the following:
upward presses without added weight, bringing the elbows down and the upper arms close to the torso, then extending the arms fully toward the ceiling.
exercise with a stick of any kind: holding the stick in your hands, spread your hands beyond your shoulders and hips, with your feet perpendicular to your sides. Raise your arms as high as you can, extending them fully upward and come back down by bringing the stick close to your hips.The arms are fully extended during both the raise and the lowering.
For both exercises, do about ten repetitions for three or four sets.To wrap up, let's remember the importance of sport, but even more so of nutrition, ideally one that is balanced and well rounded.Eathlon personalizes our diet based on the sport we play and our lifestyle: just download the app on your smartphone or visit the website www.eathlon.it !
