Are you sabotaging your workouts? Are you sabotaging your workouts?
Centr Team
14 May 2019
Would you be surprised if we told you the main gains of your training aren’t made during the actual workout part?
Well, you better practice your surprised face because it’s true.
Yes, during exercise you challenge your body, push it to adapt to different movement patterns and engage responses from the muscles, cardiovascular system, hormones, chemical pathways and so much more. But you could be missing some key results if you’re only focused on getting your sweat on.
The most common steps fitness fanatics skip? Warm-ups, cool-downs, stretching, good posture, and taking adequate recovery time.
Here’s why these steps are absolutely essential in achieving your goals.
The benefits of warming up
Yes, a warm up literally warms the body up by raising the body’s core temperature, but it also:
- increases blood flow around the body to oxygenate muscles
- mobilizes range of motion for workout movements
- lubricates joints by increasing synovial fluid
- increases mental and physical readiness for what’s to follow
Suffice to say, a good warm-up means your body is more prepared for movement, less likely to be injured and your performance potential is increased due to muscle readiness.
All of which helps you get fit and stick with your fitness goals for many sweat sessions to come.
It’s more than cool to cool-down
A cool-down is just keeping your body moving at a much lower intensity for 3-5 minutes after you’re done with your main workout for the day. After a heart-pumping workout, a cool-down helps your body return to its pre-workout calm. Namely, the heart rate, breathing and blood circulation get an opportunity to slow down gradually and safely, avoiding dizziness after a training session.
Posture is everything
Any muscle or joint pain is going to make your training plan an uncomfortable one and back pain, in particular, can throw your plans out the window.
Most back pain can be attributed to the poor posture the body learns through everyday activities such as sitting at a desk, driving a car, manual work and repetitive movements. But what can you do about it?
Our very own Dr. Eric Goodman is a huge believer that we shouldn’t have to just put up with pain. His Foundation Training focuses on changing bad posture habits and correcting movement patterns to relieve pain.
Foundation Training is a perfect way to warm the body up for exercise or cool it down after your workout. Good posture will also help dramatically in your fitness gains. To get started, check out Dr. Goodman’s foundation moves and try Foundation Training for yourself.
Stretch your way to success
A tight body won’t ever be able to perform to its maximum potential – at least not without inducing an injury along the way.
When we exercise, our muscles extend and contract over and over to complete different movements. At the end of a workout, they are usually left in a fatigued and shortened state.
Stretching post workout is an opportunity to elongate the muscles again, increasing muscle length and avoiding tightness, reduced movement ranges, aches, pains and injury. You'll find dedicated stretching sessions with your favorite trainers in the Explore section.
Recovery is where progress is made
This is the part when we tell you to get more sleep.
When we sleep, hormones are released for cell repair and healing. Chemicals that strengthen the immune system circulate through the blood. Not to mention your muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments get rested and restored for the next day. All these activities are vital for your body to function at its best so you can train at your best.
Sleep is just one factor in an effective recovery routine. Check out our ultimate recovery guide.
