The Importance of Warming Up and Stretching in the Martial Arts

By Sir Nathaniel 3X Rhine

 

Warming up and stretching in all sports activities is importance, but it is even more so in the martial arts. Please be informed that stretching is not warming up! It is, however, a very important part of warming up. Warming up is quite literally the process of "warming up", raising your core body temperature. A proper warm-up should raise your body temperature by one or two degrees Celsius (1.4 to 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

There are three phases:

1. General warm-up

2. Stretching

3. Sport-specific activity

It is very important that you perform the general warm-up before you stretch. It is not a good idea to attempt to stretch before your muscles are warm, something which the general warm-up accomplishes. A general warm-up may be light jogging, skipping rope, riding on the stationary cycle machine or simply running in place for about 5 minutes or so.

 

Warming up can do more than just loosen stiff muscles. When done properly, it can actually improve performance. On the other hand, an improper warm-up, or no warm-up at all, can greatly increase your risk of injury from engaging in athletic activities. For older individuals, as myself, it would be very wise to get plenty of warm-up before proceeding with a strenuous activity.

It is important to note that active stretches and isometric stretches should not be part of your warm-up because they are often counterproductive. The goals of the warm-up are an increased awareness, improved coordination, improved elasticity and contractibility of muscles, and a greater efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Active stretches and isometric stretches do not help achieve these goals because they are likely to cause the stretched muscles to be too tired to properly perform the athletic activity for which you are preparing your body.

In closing, I would like to encourage all martial artists to arrive at least 15 minutes early to the dojang or your place of training and get in a good warm up. Use that time wisely. No running around the dojang playing tag or whatever, but use the time to skip rope, jog in place or any kind of activity that will increase your body temperature. Note, do not over do it. You may do too much warming up that you have no energy left for the actual training. That too is no good. Try the above mentioned advice this week and within a few weeks you shall see the benefits.

Thank you for reading this article and enjoy your training.