Warming up. What are some muscles that need stretching vs rolling or applying pressure. Is it good to do this before or after training?
when warming up for fitness or sport it's best to keep the warmup dynamic. that is to say, walking on a treadmill for 5 minutes isn't really warming you up for much unless you're taking a walk. gentle plyometrics, ROM movements such as CARS and even yoga positions used as movement based warmups vs static holds. one thing these 3 examples have that traditional 'warmups' don't is a mind to body connection. you have to think about what you're doing with these forms of warming up. without getting the mind and body working together as a team it could stunt your performance for which you are readying yourself. the other component to this undervalued aspect of warmup is boredom. if you are mentally bored, you may not stick with it, may just go thru the motions and most importantly, if your mind is bored, your body is bored. challenge yourself even in your warmups. you will wake up your balance, your alertness, physical ability and interest in what you're about to take on.
stretching or rolling on a cold body is, in my opinion, not the best time for these modalities. think of rolling and stretching as flushing out the old and bringing in the new. flush out the lactic acid, pooled blood and edema to allow fresh blood and water into the muscles, connective tissue and fascia for healing.
in short.... actively warm up, passively cool down. stretching between sets is also a good way to bring fresh blood into the working tissues and lengthen the muscles but keep it moderate. no extremes in ROM.
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