Exercise is an important activity in life that everyone should factor into their schedule. However not everyone is doing it correctly. I catch myself and many other people not warming up or stretching before activity. There are far more benefits to warming up than there are negatives. A few reasons why you should warm up are because it helps avoid the body from unnecessary sprains and injuries. Warming up loosens stiff muscles and works on muscle elasticity so in the case of an injury your body is able to recover and walk away with little to no severe damage. Likewise, stretching throughout a work out is also very important because it reduces the cramps and soreness of the muscles, all while helping enhance your body’s ability learn and perform skilled movements.
Warming up and stretching has so many benefits, but so many people do not make time for it and pay the price. I myself have paid the price for not properly warming up and stretching. A couple injuries include severely rolled ankles, and sprains that could have been avoided with simple stretching. However there are more chronic conditions I have developed that I have greatly regretted. For instance, patellar tendonitis on both my knees has been due to the pressure excessive jumping has put on them. As a result both of my knee’s require a jumpers knee strap to reduce pain and inflammation whenever I am involved in activity.
My advice to everyone is to properly warm up before working out, because if you don’t the problems will hunt you down in the long run.