Warm Up

Why warm-up? According to the American Council on Exercise, a warm up does the following:

1. Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature
2. Produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions
3. Increases your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles more quickly
4. Prevents injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles
5. Gives you better muscle control by speeding up your neural message pathways to the muscles
6. Allows you to work out comfortably longer because all your energy systems are able to adjust to exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood
7. Improves joint range of motion
8. Psychologically prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your arousal and focus on exercise