So What is a Good Warm-up?
A good warm-up should include all the large muscles of your body and include movements that increase your heart rate and breathing. This is a good opportunity to listen to your body, and recognize any injury, tight spots, or restrictions that you may have to accommodate during your exercise routine.
Go for a brisk 10–to–20 minute walk. Make sure you move your shoulders and swing your arms. Good upper extremity motion takes the stress off your back and helps you to store and release energy from your core. Don’t walk at a slow pace, this will not achieve the desired results and is actually quite hard on your back compared to brisk walking.
Jog, or run for 10 to 20 minutes. If you are not a runner, start with a brisk walk interspersed with a few short jogs. If you are a runner, make sure you maintain a good upright posture with good shoulder movement, and make sure you land on the middle of your feet. No toe or heel running as this deactivates your gluteals and causes a lot of other problems. Treadmills are fine but do not increase your elevation too much.
Swim for 20 minutes. If you are doing the front crawl, make sure you breathe from both sides. You don’t want your warm-up to create neuromuscular imbalances because you breathe from just one side of your body.
Use an elliptical or ski machine for 10 to 20 minutes. Both are good for reinforcing a cross-crawling pattern, which helps establish good neuromuscular control, as well as for warming up all the big muscles of your body.
Ride a stationary bike for 10 to 20 minutes. This option is not my first choice due to the lack of motion in the upper extremity. In terms of bike types, I prefer the use of upright bikes much more since you can maintain better posture, especially if you have a history of back pain.
Hula-hoop for 5 to 10 minutes. Most people may not think of this as an aerobic exercise, but it is! The hula-hoop is not only a lot of fun, but it is also a great way to learn how to properly brace your core – a key concept in core stability.
Working within your Aerobic and Anaerobic Zones
Your warm-up, like all initial aerobic activity, needs to be performed within your aerobic zone. This is the range within which you want your heart to operate while you are performing your aerobic exercise. Think of your aerobic zone as the base which you must first establish for rehabilitation, and also for moving into the higher levels of performance in your chosen activity.
Calculating your aerobic zone - Use the following formula to calculate your aerobic zone:
1. Subtract your age from the number 220.
• For example, if I am 40 years old, then 220-40 = 180.
2. Obtain the low end of your aerobic range by multiplying the result of step 1 by 0.6.
• In our example: 180 * 0.6 = 108
3. Obtain the high end of your aerobic range by multiplying the result of step 1 by 0.7.
• In our example: 180 * 0.7 = 126
This is your aerobic heart rate zone within which you need to work to develop your aerobic capacity. It is the zone which will best speed your recovery from an injury. If you work above this zone you run the risk of injury. If you work below this zone, you will not achieve the maximum benefits provided by your aerobic warm-up.
Calculating your anaerobic zone - Calculate the ideal heart-rate for your anaerobic zone by using the following procedure:
1. Subtract your age from the number 220.
• For example, if I am 40 years old, then 220 - 40 = 180.
2. Obtain the low end of your anaerobic range by multiplying the result of step 1 by 0.8.
• In our example: 180 * 0.8 = 144
3. Obtain the high end of your anaerobic range by multiplying the result of step 1 by 0.85.
• In our example: 180 * 0.85 = 153
This is your anaerobic heart rate zone within which you need to work to develop your anaerobic capacity. It is the zone which will best assist in increasing muscle mass, speed healing, and increase immunity to disease.
Interval Training and Anaerobic Zones -
Interval training is the classic method for increasing your anaerobic zone. There are many books, references, and sports specialists who can help coach you through this process.
Find a good program that works for you and keep the following tips in mind as you start interval training:
Before doing any type of interval training, always warm up for at least 10 to 15 minutes within your easy or low aerobic zone.
Train within your anaerobic range for a maximum of 3 minutes.
Then return to your 0.6 to 0.7 (aerobic) level for five to seven minutes. Your heart rate should return to this 60%- 70% range when you are doing your aerobic training. If it does not, consider this to be an indication that you need to spend more time developing your aerobic capacity.
Note: I highly recommend purchasing a heart rate monitor if you are going to work on increasing your aerobic capacity. They are well worth the investment.
Involving Your Core
It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you are performing; all exercises require good posture and solid support from your core. Your core is the foundation and source of all your movements, providing a stable base for all arm, leg, and neck motions. Your ability to maintain good posture is greatly dependent upon your core stability!
If you have a stable, balanced, elastic core, then you can easily transfer energy from the centre of your body to all your extremities! This process of first storing energy, and then releasing it, is very similar to how a spring mechanism works. A compressed spring contains stored energy. When the spring releases, the stored energy is released to allow the spring to expand. The muscles of your core act like a spring, compressing or tightening to store energy, and expanding to release the stored energy for use in movement!
Having the ability to store and release energy from your core is a fundamental aspect of injury resolution and athletic performance. It does not matter how fit you currently are, what your age is, or what your current health status is...you can always improve the quality of your core.
If you do not have a strong core, you rob yourself of much needed power and energy, and make yourself more susceptible to injuries.
Bracing Your Core
Almost all of our exercises require you to activate, brace, and otherwise involve your core! One of the key ways that all exercises can be converted into core exercises is through the process of bracing. I first learned about this process from Dr. Stuart McGill, Department Chair of the Spine Biomechanics Laboratory at the University of Waterloo.
Bracing refers to the process of “contracting