Putting it all together.

The Warm Up


WHAT DOES A FORMAL/TRADITIONAL EXERCISE PROGRAM LOOK LIKE


EXAMPLE OF A WELL DESIGNED FITNESS CENTER PROGRAM


The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends the following exercise session for an apparently healthy individual starting an exercise program. This is a basic exercise program for someone starting out.  More involved, specific, or health concern programs can be designed by your trainer, but all of the following phases should be followed in some fashion. 


Exercise Session

There are five phases to a basic fitness program and they typically proceed in the following order:


1. Warm Up Phase

2. Flexibility Phase

3. Cardiovascular Training Phase

4. Resistance/Strength/Muscular/Functional Training Phase

5. Cool Down Phase with Stretches


The Warm Up Phase prepares the body for physical activity.  Appropriate activities are light and rhythmical body motions such as walking, exercise bike, or calisthenics (marching in place), at a low intensity, for 2 to 5 minutes. A warmup and do not forget a cool-down may add a few minutes to your exercise routine, but they might also reduce stress on your heart and other muscles. They generally involve doing your activity at a slower pace and reduced intensity. According to the Mayo Clinic warming up may also help reduce muscle soreness and lessen your risk of injury. Cooling down after your workout allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure. Cooling down doesn't appear to help reduce muscle stiffness and soreness after exercise, but more research is needed.


According to Mayo Clinic and other researchers although there's controversy about whether warming up and cooling down can prevent injuries, proper warmups and cool-downs pose little risk. Plus, they seem to give your heart and blood vessels a chance to ease into — and out of — an exercise session. A warm up can consist of large boy movements like large knee lifts and arm circles. The Mayo Clinic suggests to begin by doing the activity and movement patterns of your chosen exercise, but at a low, slow pace that gradually increases in speed and intensity. This is called a dynamic warmup. A warmup may produce mild sweating, but generally won't leave you fatigued. Cooling down is similar to warming up. You generally continue your workout session for five minutes or so, but at a slower pace and reduced intensity.


Stretching is typically done after a cold down. Most fitness authorities suggest that. I suggest doing it after a warm up in addition for a variety of reasons. The most important is that it tells your body if you may have an issues that you were not aware of. According to Mayo stretching may also help improve your performance in some activities by allowing your joints to move through their full range of motion. However, studies haven't consistently shown that stretching helps prevent muscle soreness or injury. I however disagree with this. There are some very good studies that suggest otherwise. Plus if you ever have an injury stretching is one of the main and first modalities chosen in a physical therapy program. In other words stretch for you joint health.