Dynamic Warm-Up For Busy Moms

I have been advising mothers ever since I was a fitness trainer, about the importance of a fitting in a dynamic warm-up before commencing exercise.  Many of them tell me that they just don't have enough time to fit it in.  When they are able to find a time during the day to work-out, they feel that a dynamic warm-up will waste their precious time they have.  However, this can lead to potential injuries down the road if the body is not prepared for the specific exercise it is required to perform.
Many moms choose to exercise first thing in the morning, before their children awake.  This is the most crucial time to fit in a dynamic warm-up since the body has just been at rest for nearly 6-8 hours.  Although, if a mom chooses to workout later on in the day they may not necessarily need a dynamic warm-up especially if they have been running around with their children all day.
I am a firm believer preparing your body for the physical demands of a workout, depending on your intensity and type.  A few benefits of a dynamic warm-up are:

1. It increases blood flow to your joints, ligaments and tendons via vaso-dilation which increases elasticity and reduce tears/pulls.
2. It increases oxygen consumption for the muscles as well as the stimulates the Central Nervous System (CNS).
3. It prepares the body for the activity by mimicking similar body movements.
4. It can help to mentally prepare for the physical demands of the activity.

So what does this all mean?  It means that dynamic warm-up plays an important role in preparing the body for exercise.  I tell all busy moms that even a few minutes of warm-up is better than nothing.  After much of my research, there is no specific number of minutes that should be designated for warm-up.  With many advanced athletes, warm-up fits into their sport such as training movement patterns.  If you can find at least 5 - 10 minutes of warm-up before exercising, that would be most sufficient.

Here a few simple dynamic warm-up exercises to help you get moving:

1. Easy jog forward, backwards and sideways.
2. Arm circles while jogging forward.
3. Single-leg swings forwards and sideways (holding on to a chair or wall).
4. Easy squats or walking lunges (slight bend in the knee on the down)

So fitness mamas...get your warm-up in before you venture out to exercise.  You have come so far in your fitness journey that sustaining an injury that could have been prevented would be devastating.

References:

1. Integrated Warm-Ups by Anette Lang, January 17, 2007
2. Dynamic Warm-Up Routines for Sport by Adrian Faccioni, April 3, 2001

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