Maureen Johnson
Daily Egyptian
It's Tuesday, and for Moses Elias, that means another vigorous workout running laps at the Recreation Center.
Elias, a senior in industrial technology from Chicago, works out six to seven days a week.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he does a cardiovascular workout with abdominal strengthening. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, he does weight training. On Saturdays, he jogs outside. On Sundays, he may swim.
But regardless of the workout, Elias makes it a point to warm up before his routine.
"Before I run, I stretch," Elias said. "I jog one lap to warm up my legs, and then I start jogging at my regular pace."
Elias makes sure his muscles are conditioned before he begins his workout.
"Once I start feeling loose, I can tell right away," Elias said. "Then I start going for it."
John Massie, coordinator of sports medicine located in the Recreation Center, said the purpose of warming-up is to increase the heart rate and the flow of blood to the muscles.
"It also serves to get the joints moving and ready for exercise," Massie said.
Melinda Rathjen, a resident of Murphysboro, graduated from SIU in December 2001 with a degree in English. Rathjen exercises three to four times a week.
She considers the warm-up to be an important part of her exercise routine, but she admits she does not warm up as often as she would like.
"I probably just stretch for a few minutes and then maybe walk a lap around," Rathjen said. "It's probably not enough. I almost always do the lap of walking before I run, but I don't always stretch. I know I should."
Massie said a warm-up period of 10 minutes is usually sufficient, provided it is an activity involving large muscle groups such as arms and legs.
"If you're a runner, slow jogging or walking is always good," Massie said.
Rathjen said one of the benefits of warming-up is that it could prevent injury to the muscles.
"I've always heard that it reduces the chance of injury during exercise," Rathjen said. "But I think it loosens up my muscles."
Massie said the primary reason people warm up is for injury prevention.
"The idea is that if the muscles are warmed up and more supple, you're less likely to injure those muscles." Massie said. "And it allows exercise to be more comfortable, too."
Elias said warming-up is critical to his exercise regimen, particularly due to his knee injuries. When he does not warm up properly, he said he can tell the difference in his workout.
"Especially with running, I can tell because my knees start to hurt right away," Elias said. "And after that first lap, that first jog, the pain goes away and I'm back at it again."
However, some people may not warm up before exercise, despite the possibility of injury.
"Sometimes I don't feel like taking time," Rathjen said. "Some people may not feel like they need it."
Elias said people may not have enough information about the importance of warming up before exercise.
"They might not know the consequences of not warming up," Elias said.
Massie said although a failure to warm up could increase the chance of injuries, this is not always the case.
Furthermore, he stressed that for certain activities, a separate warm-up session is not always necessary.
"Running is one of those examples," Massie said. "Typically, as you begin the activity, you warm yourself up and increase your pace as you go along."
Although stretching may be a part of a warm-up session, Massie cautions people not to equate stretching with a warm-up.
"Stretching does not constitute warming up," Massie said. "Stretching can be a part of the warm-up, but overall the goal of the warm-up is to increase your body temperature and your heart rate. And the rule of thumb I typically tell people to use is when you're properly warmed up, you should be breaking or be beginning to break a sweat. That's how you know you've prepared your body for exercise or activity."
Elias believes a proper warm-up includes both stretching and an increase in heart rate.
"When I weight train, I usually do one set with a lot of reps so I can get my body in the form I want it to go," Elias said. "You get into the swing of things, so you start getting more comfortable and then by that time, your muscles are used to it. You start getting the feel for it."
Massie said stretching should be done after warming up the muscles.
"Stretching a warm muscle is much easier and more efficient than stretching a cold muscle," Massie said. "A lot of people recommend you stretch after activity if your true goal is to elongate the tissue and improve range of motion. It should be done after the activity when the muscles are at their warmest."
Reporter Maureen Johnson can be reached at mjohnson@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
