Preventing Pain during Exercise with Warm-ups
Those of you just starting out with an exercise program, we want to reveal the importance of a good warm up. Warming up before exercise helps improve performance, reduce injury, and increase fitness longevity.
Do you ever start a workout and notice your movements feel difficult, tight, and restricted? These sensations are often times the things you feel before the actual pain starts. You can avoid these feelings with a proper warm-up. To help you remember a good warm-up routine, we use the acronym RAMP. This acronym stands for Raise, Activate, Mobilize, Potentiate. The type of warm-up is used by professional athletes of all different types of sports but can be applied to anyone. If you haven’t been doing a warm-up already, don’t worry, we are here to help.
Raise
Raise simply means raising your heart rate and temperature. You will be increasing blood flow and oxygen to the muscles for them to perform their best. You are also burning more calories when your heart rate is higher. If you’re just starting out, a good Raise would be to do some form of cardio (jog/walk, elliptical, stationary bike, ect.) at a moderate pace for 3-10 minutes.
Activate/Mobilize
Do you have certain movements that lead to soreness in all the wrong places? You may be needing some activation exercises. Examples of this include activating the thoracic spine for shoulder motions like Rows or Presses. GluteBridges engage your glutes to prepare for movements like the Squat or Deadlift. When the bigger muscles like your glutes are firing, it takes the work away from your lower back. With the right activation exercises, you can avoid injury and reach your goals faster.
How often do you say, “My back is so tight!” Limited mobility is a big culprit to injury during movement. Tight hips? Maybe you’ve had some low back or knee pain. A good movement to add is Targeted Cats and Dogs to mobilize the muscles in the pelvis, abdomen, spine. One tool that is commonly used to help mobilize tissues is a foam roller. Be sure to keep foam rolling before activity short and sweet, saving the deeper stuff for afterwards.
Potentiate
To potentiate, you simply perform the movement you’re working on, gradually increasing resistance and speed before performing the full on movement. The purpose of potentiation is to increase motor unit recruitment. In simpler terms, we just want our nervous system and our muscles to better communicate to create efficiency. When your muscles aren’t working at the highest level when you need it most, it sets you up for injury. An example would be doing light KettleBell Swings before performing a Deadlift.
Starting your own warm-up
Implementing a proper warm -up routine shouldn’t be too overwhelming. Pictured above is a good full body warm-up for beginners! A good warm-up can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes depending on your skill level and goals. Starting out, you want to keep it simple, only doing a few of each piece. If you have difficulty finding the right movements for your goals, it is always beneficial to speak with a Strength Coach or Personal Trainer. If any movements cause pain, a detailed movement assessment and treatment by a Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, or Physician would be highly recommended. You can click HERE to schedule online or call us at 970-712-6059 to schedule an appointment to get you out of pain and reaching your valuable goals.
About COOR Wellness
COOR Wellness is located in beautiful Grand Junction Colorado. They are Western Colorado’s premier wellness center, helping people feel and move better.
- Chiropractic care
- Massage therapy
- Health Coaching
- Nutrition Coaching
- Weight Loss
- Low Level Laser Therapy
If you’re interested in scheduling please call 970-712-6059 or book an appointment online