Sunday, May 24, 2009

The begining of exercise

Question : Why is it important to warm up and stretch?
A low impact exercise, such as biking, walking, an elliptical machine, a rowing machine, etc. is the best way to warm up. There are many reasons why you should warm up and stretch before working out – the main one is injury prevention. A warmup and stretch help increase the elasticity of your muscles and connective tissues prior to putting them under stress. Increased elasticity simply means muscle and tissues are more relaxed and flexible. Running is just one example of an exercise that puts an enormous amount of stress on your body. Working out without a warmup and raising your heart rate rapidly can cause problems also. A proper warmup improves heart function and prepares it for the stress of exercise. The heart receives greater blood flow and oxygen with a gradual warmup. Your muscles will actually perform better with a proper warmup and stretch as well – there is a tendency for lactic acid to build up in your muscles quicker without a warmup. Lactic acid is what you feel when you are doing an intense exercise and you feel a "burn." Warming up and stretching dissipates this lactic acid. So you can actually get more out of your workout with a proper warmup and stretch...

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