September 15, 2008
Dave Cruz
There's nothing wrong with touching your toes. If you can do it, you're ahead of most people in terms of flexibility. Only a short while ago, a quick toe touch and a few minutes on the treadmill was all experts thought was needed to warm up for sports or exercise. And that's still what most people do, if anything.
But there's a more effective way to prepare your body for physical activity. It involves going through a series of dynamic movements that increase your core temperature, prepare your nervous system for activity, and activate key muscles that you'll use in your training session. The word "warm-up" doesn't really cover it. That's why we call it "movement preparation," or "movement prep." More than getting warm, "movement prep" decreases your injury potential and improves your training. And it only takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
Get started with this sample routine.