
Warm Up! Do We Have to?
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How many times as a coach do we hear this! The simple answer is that warm-up is essential to limiting your chances of injury. How? By increasing the core body temperature- which reduces the chance for muscle and tendon injuries. But there is more to it than that... much more.
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Warming up helps the body to deliver oxygen to the exercising muscle groups.
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A proper warm-up increases blood flow. A greater level of blood reaching the muscles involved in the activity actually aids in the delivery of the important fuels (e.g. glucose and free fatty acids). Fuels required for energy production.
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Warming up improves the suppleness of the muscle, thereby enhancing the mechanical efficiency and power of the muscles.
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Warming up helps ensure that the cardiovascular system(heart & blood vessels) is given time to adjust to the body's increased demands for blood and oxygen.
A good meet warm-up swim should be
vigorous enough to heat- up the body, but
not so strenuous that you are tired before
stepping on the block! Swimmers want to
feel ready to race. Loose. Not tired like
after a difficult workout!