The 4 types of sports warm-up (and their characteristics)

Warming up is one of the most important phases of exercising. Thanks to it, our muscles and our circulatory system are prepared to assume a higher energy expenditure than usual, thanks to the mediation of the endocrine system and its hormonal regulation.

However, keep in mind that there are several types of sports warm-up depending on the type of physical activity that we are going to use when doing sports. In this article we will see a summary of these categories, and their characteristics.

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What is the warm-up before playing sports?

The general concept of sports warm-up refers to a series of exercises that aim to work several groups of muscles in the body at the same time, for the body to prepare for the demands of sport and enter a state of activation in which it is possible to exert yourself physically.

Basically, it is about making the body do its best and that investment of efforts leads to optimal performance, minimizing the risk of injury and achieving better goals.

To do this, the temperature of the muscles is raised and the heart rate accelerates, processes that allow a rapid and efficient release of force.

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The main types of sports warm-up

Let's see now what are the types of warm-up before exercising, and what are their functions.

1. General warming

The main function of the general warm-up is to prepare as many muscles as possible for the activity to come, without focusing on a specific muscle group. It is used so that the whole body enters, globally, in a phase of activation and optimization of calorie burning.

To do this type of warm-up, movements are performed that do not involve exerting a lot of force. That is, exercises that activate muscles distributed throughout the body and medium or moderate intensity. For example, walking on the elliptical or running without sprinting.

2. Specific heating

In the segmented, or specific warm-up, you work with the muscles and joints that are directly involved in the type of exercise that we are going to perform.

Normally, this type of warm-up consists of performing the exercise that we will later do, practicing it with low or very low intensity. For example, if we are going to bench press, the segmented warm-up will be to raise the bar by adding discs that weigh very little, so that we can do many repetitions.

While the general warm-up is done once and is valid for the entire session, it is possible (and recommended) to carry out several segmented warm-up phases in each session, one each time the activity is changed or muscle groups to work.

3. Dynamic heating

If the previous types of heating are differentiated especially by emphasizing the parts of the body involved, in this case the main characteristic is the nature of the activity perform.

Dynamic heating is distinguished by putting into practice very varied biological processes: strength, flexibility, proprioception and balance, breath control, sharpening of reflexes, etc.

Thus, it appeals to both physical and psychological properties to make us enter the physical and mental state that we prepare to function properly when we actually do the sport or exercise for which we train.

For example, doing a series of non-stop exercises quickly through a circuit, albeit with medium intensity, falls into this category.

4. Preventive heating

It involves the implementation of specific instructions indicated by a professional who has given guidelines for preventing a specific class of injury or worsening of an injury that already exists.

For its own reason, it is of low intensity, although its nature can vary greatly depending on the case and the possible risk faced by those who practice sports.

Bibliographic references:

• Anderson, D. (1989). The Discipline and the Profession. Foundations of Canadian Physical Education, Recreation, and Sports Studies. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
• Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM (2010). "Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis". Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 24 (1): 140 - 148.
• Rössler, R.; Junge, A.; Bizzini, M.; Verhagen, E.; Chomiak, J.; aus der Fünten, K.; Meyer, T.; Dvorak, J.; Lichtenstein, E.; Beaudouin, F.; Faude, O. (2017). "A Multinational Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of '11 + Kids': A Warm-Up Program to Prevent Injuries in Children's Football". Sports Medicine.
• Soligard, T., Myklebust, G., Steffen, K., Holme, I., Silvers, H., Bizzini, M. et al. (2008) "Comprehensive warm-up program to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomized controlled trial." BMJ, 337: a2469