Whatever your chosen exercise activity – whether you compete at a high level like Javier, or simply take part in sports as a fun way to socialise and stay healthy – warm ups and warm downs are crucial for performing at your best and protecting yourself against injury.
That’s why we’ve chosen leading physiotherapists to offer tips and key insights for your pre and post work outs. After all, a few extra steps in your routine can really make the difference.
Most of the world’s best athletes find their sporting passions early in life, and gaining early competitive experience can make a huge difference later on. But it’s also important for young sports men and women to be smart in their approach. Make sure your muscles and joints are fully warmed up before exercise sessions to ensure you achieve your best. It can help protect you against long injury lay-offs so you can keep on learning, improving and best of all, having fun.
Remember to pace yourself and not get carried away too early in the activity. Conserving energy levels is something older athletes learn with experience, and it can help you maintain a steady pace through to the finish line. Making smart practice a part of your training routine early in your development will give you the best chances of success in later years. Who knows where it might lead?
The need for the right pre and post exercise preparation is even more important for the over 40s. Repetitive strains and muscle pulls can take longer to heal up fully, but making a few simple adjustments to your normal routine can help you get the most from your chosen sport whilst avoiding long lay-offs.
For older athletes, a nutritious diet is key to staying healthy and performing at your best. Eating more green vegetables and alkalising fruits (such as mango, papaya, melon and dates) helps minimise acidity levels in your body and will decrease the rate you lose muscle tissue and bone density. It’s also a good idea to slow down on more explosive or speed-based sports, and focus instead on strength and power workouts.
The warm up stage steadily increases your heart rate and lung function, pumping the blood around the body in preparation for your activity. Practice a range of sport-specific movements to help loosen the muscle groups you’ll need and make pulls and muscle tears less likely. The warm down stage should consist of similar movements but at a much lower speed and intensity, where the focus is on stretching and relaxing the muscle.