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Warm up before getting hot on the course!

Wow!  It’s chilly out there in the morning!  I know we live in Arizona, but the need to warm up the muscles before we hit the golf course, tennis courts, or fitness center is extra essential to our physical ability in action!  Even in warm weather, our muscles need to get ready to exercise!

The purpose of warm-up activities is to prepare the body, especially the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, for the conditioning phase of the exercise session.  Warming up the muscles before activity can help reduce your risk for injury and decrease the soreness that can come from activity.  Physiologically, we need to circulate the blood around the body to prepare the working muscles.  Cold muscles are less likely to absorb shock or impact as well as warmed muscles, and are more susceptible to injury.  Your warm up should be sport specific, and mimic some of the movements that you will be completing during activity.  These movements should be done at a slower speed with less intensity and impact as regular play. 

 

A proper warm up will prepare you both mentally and physically for exercise, and will reduce the chance for injury.  Other benefits of a proper warm up include:

• Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making muscles more pliable.
• Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.  This prevents you from getting out of breath early or too easily.
• Prepares your muscles for stretching.
• Prepares your heart for an increase in activity, preventing a rapid increase in blood pressure.
• Prepares you mentally for the upcoming exercise.
• Primes your nerve-to-pathways to be ready for exercise.
• Improves coordination and reaction times.

 

Here are some basic warm up exercises to get you started on you warm up routine!

1.  Jog in place (for 1-2 min. get legs and arms moving up and down)

2.  Arm circles (15 in each direction, starting small and getting larger)

3.  Side bends (3-5 each side; 1 arm reached over the head, lean to the side) 

4.  Squats (15 times; sit down and back- like sitting in a chair, then stand up tall, weight in the heels of the feet)

6.  Practice swings (light intensity, with club or racquet)

 

For more information on golf-specific warm ups please see:  http://www.pgaprofessional.com/golf_tips_warmup_print.html

For more information on tennis-specific warm ups please see:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/2978-facts-tennis-warm-up/   

 

Samantha Shore

Fitness Director