How to Properly Warm-up

By Dr. Naeemah Ruffin

A proper warm-up should include the following: First, access your full range of motion in the joints and muscles you will use in your training. For example, if you are plan to train your splits, focus your warm-up exercises on your core and the supporting muscles and tissues surrounding your hips and knees. Second, preparing specific muscles is key to creating the best warm up prior to any training session. For example, if you are planning on training en pointe, focus specifically on warming up the muscles around your feet and ankles, your turnout muscles, and your core. This will prepare your body to endure your training and lower your injury risk. Third, increase your heart rate. Increasing your heart rate allows more blood flow to your muscles, joints and other tissues and supports healthy results. Adding a few minutes of exercises like jumping jacks or burpees can have elevate your heart rate. Fourth, raise your core body temperature. Having physically warm muscles and joints can help significantly prevent injuries and achieve lasting training results. Fifth, include active movements. You must MOVE. While it’s tempting to sit in static stretches like your middle split, to have the best impact on your training, it’s important that you include active movements like dynamic stretches to get you ready to train.