Common Warn-Up Mistakes | Avoid Injuries with Proper Stretching

Your warmups ensure that you don't get injured when engaging in high-impact activities. They should not be the source of your injuries. However, many people make mistakes when warming up that can lead to them getting hurt before they do anything else. Others may not push themselves enough in warmups, meaning their bodies aren't prepared for what they're going to do next. In this article, we look at three of the most common warmup mistakes and what you can do to fix them.

Avoiding Common Warm Up Mistakes

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Mistake No. 1 – Trying to Rush Through the Warmup

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Your warmup can feel like an inconvenience that's getting in the way of the exercise or activity you want to do. This feeling can lead to you skipping parts of your warmup routine or rushing through your exercises so you don't get the full benefit of them. Rushing repeatedly can lead to an injury as every little bit of harm you do by failing to warm up correctly builds up.

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Solving this problem is a simple case of committing to your warmup as though it's part of your main workout. Schedule 15 minutes for the task and create several routines that you can mix up. Finally, remind yourself that an extra couple of minutes in the warmup means better performance when you start exercising.

Mistake No. 2 – Improper Stretching

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Most people know that stretching should be part of their warmup. Good stretches improve flexibility and loosen your

muscles up so they're ready for more strenuous activity. However, many don't know that the wrong kind of stretching can cause more damage than harm. Specifically, using static stretches, where you hold a stretch for several seconds, isn’t a good idea for warmups.

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Static stretches reduce muscle strength and power. Instead, use dynamic stretches that incorporate movement. Leave the static stretches for your cool down.

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Mistake No. 3 – Sticking to the Same Warmup Each Time

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You don’t do the same workout each day so it stands to reason that you shouldn’t do the same warmup. Remember that your warmup should prepare the muscles that you're going to use in a more strenuous activity. Think of it as a condensed and lighter version of the actual workout. By sticking with the same warmup each time, you may fail to prepare the parts of your body that you're going to use when you work out.

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The solution here is to vary your workouts so you warm up the muscles you're going to use. Again, focus on dynamic stretches and movements so you prevent injuries and post-workout soreness.

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Get Your Warmup Right

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Simply having a warmup is not enough to prevent injuries when working out. You need to give the process enough time, use the correct stretches, and prepare the parts of your body that you're going to use in your workout. By fixing the three mistakes featured in this article, you reduce the possibility of injury and will enjoy more productive workout sessions.

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