A warm up essentially helps your body prepare for the training that is to come. It generally involves a period of low-impact exercises that prepare the body for the more strenuous aspects of the activity.  It's a chance to focus not only on the physical but the mental aspect as well.  Warming up is an important part of training in reducing the risk of injury that may happen if over stretching occurred, especially if you're not physically warmed up and ready for the exercise. For all of you who come late to class, make sure you don't just dive in without loosening your muscles.  Most of you sit at a desk all day long, which means your spine and posture takes a good beating.  On top of that, if you're carrying bags, your body is most likely overloaded.  By the time you get to class after work, you don't even care because you're tired.  Injuries often occur because we are not mindful of what we put our bodies through.



Reasons for Warming Up

With the temperatures plummeting at this time of year, the cold weather can make your muscles tight and therefore prone to injuries.  Here are a few reasons why all workouts should begin with a proper warm up:

• Warming the muscles increases body temperature which improves oxygen supply to the body
• Increasing blood flow to the muscles allow them to contract and relax more quickly
• Increases elasticity of the ligaments, tendons and other connective tissues
• May increase overall exercise performance
• Helps prepare the body and the mind for more strenuous activity

Types of Warm Ups

There are different ways to warm up and they're often classified into three categories: passive, general and specific.  With passive warm ups, you raise the body's temperature by doing things like sitting in a sauna or taking a hot shower.  General warm ups involve increasing the heart rate and body temperature just by moving the body around (jumping jacks, running, etc.)  Specific warm ups mean you do similar movements to the exercises you will be doing (ginga lunges, kicks, pushups).

Length of a Warm Up

How long you warm up will often depend on what you're doing and how much time you need to transition into the exercise.  If you're working out on a cold day or doing a very hard workout, you may need an extra 10 or more minutes to warm up. If you're doing a light workout or already warm from doing other activities, you may just need a few minutes.  Some Capoeira classes may start with a warm up for at least 30 minutes or so.



Warming Up Outside of Class

For those of you who train on your own (and if not, you should be cross training!), you should simulate similar warm-ups as you do in class.  You can also start with activities to increase your heart rate for a few minutes and then go into your specific warm up.

A sample warm up would be the following:

• 5 - 10 minutes - light jogging, elliptical machine, stairmill, bike or jump rope
• 5 - 10 minutes - Mixture of exercises:
• Squats - 10 repetitions - similar poses you use in esquivas
• Alternating Lunges - 10 repetitions each leg - similar to the ginga
• Hip circles - place hands on hips, keep legs straight and push your hips forward, to the side and back to open up your lower back - circle 5 x one direction and switch
• Kicks (side, front, circular) - 10 repetitions each leg
• Side Reach - 10 repetitions - spread legs apart a little wider than hip width, keep both legs straight, reach up with both arms and shift to one side dropping one arm close to your hip and the other arm up and over your head towards one side, then shift.
• Downward dog yoga pose into plank - 10 repetitions - to open up your upper middle back, stretch our your hamstrings, lower back and release your spine. Switch back and forth between the 2 poses to open up your muscles.
• Leg lifts for abs - 2 repetitions - Raise legs to 90 degrees keeping your lower back and hipbones melted to the floor.  Keeping your abs contracted, lower your legs as low as possible without compensating your lower back.  Keep abs contracted throughout. 
• Knee folds - to loosen up hip flexors and lower back - pull both knees in towards your chest placing one hand on top of each knee.  Circle knees around in opposite direction keeping your back flat for 5 x and reverse in other direction.

These are just some suggestions.  You can create your own, but make sure you incorporate exercises which address all parts of your body.

In conclusion, warming up is critical in preventing injuries, improving overall performance and is a more efficient way of training.  Whether you are warming up in class or on your own, it is important to understand why it is such a necessary component prior to your workout.  Take the time to take care of your body as it will be overloaded as you get older.  Ever wonder why yoga and pilates is so popular with the older population?  We abuse our bodies so much when we are young and think we are immune until something happens.  Think of what you put your body through during the day before you come to class and think again of what you need to do.  You will be a much more smarter Capoeirista in the long run.


Previously:
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central park that incorporates all the above elements and a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by Ben30, The U.S. Army, and DrJimiGlide via CC BY-SA 2.0