Many people jump straight into training without warming up, but that can actually cost you both performance and health. Research from Edith Cowan University shows that a temperature increase of just one degree in the muscles can improve performance by up to 3.5 percent – that’s more than many people get from a supplement.
Warming up isn't just about "getting started." It prepares your body, brain, and nervous system for the stress that's coming. You'll move better, react faster, and significantly reduce your risk of injury.
Without a warm-up, the start of your workout often feels heavy and stiff, and your body takes longer to perform optimally. Simply put: Warming up is not a waste of time – it’s an investment in quality, flow, and results.
A good warm-up creates both physiological and psychological changes that prepare the body for exercise. Muscle temperature rises, blood flow increases, and the nervous system awakens. At the same time, you begin to mentally focus – you move from “everyday” to “performance.”
Warming up reduces muscle viscosity, makes tendons and connective tissue more elastic, and increases joint mobility. This not only gives you better movement – it enables your body to withstand more, especially during strength training or high-intensity cardio .
Cold muscles are stiff muscles. When you start your workout without warming up, you risk overexerting tendons and muscle tissue that are not yet ready for fast or heavy movements. A gradual increase in intensity gives your body time to adapt and reduces the risk of strains, tears, and overuse injuries.
When muscle temperature rises, the elasticity of the connective tissue also increases. This means that the muscles can stretch further without injury, and you get a better range of motion. The more explosive or technically demanding the workout, the more important a thorough warm-up becomes.
Warming up simply makes you better from the first repetition. When the nervous system is activated, signals travel faster between the brain and muscles. This results in better coordination, higher power production and more efficient muscle activation.
For example, in strength training, a warmed-up muscle will recruit more muscle fibers and perform better – with less energy expenditure. In endurance training, the body will use oxygen more efficiently, and you will get a smoother rhythm and better technique from the start.
Briefly summarized:
You don't have to be an athlete for warming up to be important. Landscapers , who work with heavy lifting, rotating movements, shoveling, and long days in static positions, are especially prone to overuse injuries.
The same applies to professions such as moving cleaning , where long workdays with repetitive work, lifting, bending and work above shoulder height place great demands on the body and make warming up extra important.
Many in such professions start the workday “cold”, going straight into carrying stone slabs, bending over beds or lifting heavy machinery. It’s the same strain as heavy training sessions – but without warming up.
This increases the risk of:
Just five minutes of simple mobility and warming up before physical work can significantly reduce acute and long-term discomfort. Warming up is therefore just as important in physically demanding occupations as it is in the weight room.
As you warm up, your metabolism, heart rate, and breathing rate gradually increase. Blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow to your working muscles. This ensures faster delivery of oxygen and nutrients.
The increased temperature improves the muscles' ability to contract and relax, which results in better explosiveness and responsiveness. At the same time, the “sticky” resistance in joints and connective tissue is reduced – allowing the body to move more smoothly.
All of this allows you to perform better, while your body uses energy more efficiently.
A good warm-up isn't just about getting warm, it's also about preparing the movement patterns you're going to use. Dynamic movements like rotating lunges, high knee raises, shoulder opens, or squats without weights activate the muscles and joints you'll actually be using during your workout.
When the nervous system is activated, coordination, balance and control of the body improve. This is especially important in exercises that require precision, such as heavy lifting, explosive jumps or quick changes of direction. Warming up is also technical training – a preparation for the brain, not just the muscles.
Warming up gives you time to mentally enter the session . You get to check how your body feels that day, adjust your training plan and create focus. Many people use the warm-up to visualize the exercises and think through technique – a method that has actually been shown to increase performance and reduce errors.
The gradual transition from rest to activity makes you feel safer, sharper and more motivated. You enter the flow zone sooner, and your training simply gets better.
Warming up is more than just a “prelude” to training – it’s an integral part of performance. It prepares your muscles, tendons, heart and brain for what’s to come, reduces the risk of injury and gives you better quality in each session.
At Yolo Coaching & Training, we always remind our members that good results start before the first lift – in the minutes you spend warming up.
Take the time to activate your body. It not only leads to safer training, but also better performance, better technique and better results – over time.
