If you want to avoid sports injuries, warming up and stretching before you exercise is essential. Warming up and stretching prepare your body so you are less likely to sustain an injury. Preventing an injury before the fact is always preferable to managing pain after injury has occurred. Here is a look at why warming up and stretching matter so much and some techniques you can use before your next workout.

Why Warm-Ups and Stretching Matters

Your body isn’t designed to go right from rest to strenuous physical activity. When you jump into activity without warming up, you run the risk of pulling and tearing muscles and ligaments from overextension. Warm-ups and stretching also give you a chance to prepare your mind for physical activity. You may find that you’re more focused and driven during your workout or game if you’re warmed-up. By warming up and stretching, you also slowly increase your heart and respiratory rates and increase the amount of nutrients and oxygen delivered to your muscles.

How to Warm Up and Stretch

Warming up involves doing light aerobic activity, while stretching focuses on loosening the muscles. To warm up, you should begin doing your planned activity, but at a slower pace than normal. For example, you can jog slowly in place before a run or do some slow laps before swimming. For stretching, work on loosening up the muscles you’re going to use the most during your activity. Stretching out your throwing arm before pitching in a baseball game is one example.

Even when you warm up and stretch consistently, it is not possible to prevent all sports injuries. When a problem strikes, call Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C. We offer non-surgical therapies for sport injuries, work injuries, and more. Call our office at 770-421-1420 to schedule an appointment.