warming up

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[niall]

Lifehacker (http://lifehacker.com/5832408/warming-up-before-exercise-may-hone-the-mind-but-not-the-body) wrote about an article in the NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/health/nutrition/18best.html) on warming up before sports. Apparently there isn't much consensus. Or even basic research. Surprisingly.

[chillzATL]

Nice read, though it focuses on warmups from a performance perspective. I think most people look at warmups from a safety perspective, which I believe has had a significant amount of research.

The golf results make sense to me and I bet they'd find similar results in other similarly repetative sports (swinging a baseball bat, etc).

[grondahl]

Some review articles however suggests that warming up decrease the risk of injury. The problem is defining what "warming up" consists of. Some studies let the participants sit in a sauna, other just do different kinds of stretching and other define warm up as a pretty good workout in itself.

I feel that some big movements, joint mobility exercises and dynamic stretching before going in to waza or ukemi practice helps people to get in the right frame of mind.

[Basia Halliop]

Even from an injury prevention standpoint, I'm not sure the research is simple... e.g. I think some kinds of warmups increase the risk of injury.

I think part of the problem is that people use 'warmup' to describe so many different things.

[jurasketu]

When I was a young man and worked in the construction business, we "warmed up" by moving heavy lumber around. In Aikido, I "warm up" by doing a series of full speed forward and backward rolls. Mind you, I enjoy doing calisthenics - for the exercise value. And I do ki exercises every day - class or not.

More importantly, I think stretching is valuable, but I only stretch AFTER exercise when everything is warm and loose. There definitely is long-standing, valid research in that area - deep stretches of cold muscles aren't a good idea. And I don't like doing stretches for warm up at all. For that reason, in the dojo, I make sure I'm already fully warmed up before class starts and even then I usually just pretend stretch.

I do think "loosening up", breathing exercises, clearing your mind (very important) and moving around in a gentle fashion is probably sufficient and maybe even the best way to get going before any exercise.

Robin

[Janet Rosen]

I've complained for years that "traditional" aikido warmups are an incoherent mishmash of stretches to cold muscles, which do no good and may lead to or predispose to microtears, and range of motion, which actually constitutes a good beginning to warming up and preparing the body for movement and exercise.
Sports research shows that warming up drills that activate movements and reflexes to be used in the sport are valuable. This would suggest that in aikido tai sabaki drills, rolling and falling practice, the ki exercises done in that lineage, etc all contribute positively.

[Chris Li]

I've complained for years that "traditional" aikido warmups are an incoherent mishmash of stretches to cold muscles, which do no good and may lead to or predispose to microtears, and range of motion, which actually constitutes a good beginning to warming up and preparing the body for movement and exercise.
Sports research shows that warming up drills that activate movements and reflexes to be used in the sport are valuable. This would suggest that in aikido tai sabaki drills, rolling and falling practice, the ki exercises done in that lineage, etc all contribute positively.

Don't worry, nobody listens to me, either. :)

I liked the article at http://saveyourself.ca/articles/stretching.php

Best,

Chris

[Michael Varin]

I've posted about this topic numerous times.

I no longer "stretch" for warm-ups.

I discovered dynamic mobility and activation exercises about two and half years ago, and I have grown very fond of them.

They are as gentle as you need them to be and do so many positive things for your body. Plus, they actually do prepare you for training.

I still use stretching strategically. It can be beneficial for certain areas of your body where the muscles have become excessively shortened and tight, the hip flexors in most of us would be an example.

[grondahl]

There is some problem with definitions, a lunge is a kind of dynamic stretching but it could also be viewed as a strength exercise or a "dynamic mobility exercise".

[SeiserL]

IMHO, please remember that "warming up" can also be "solo training" in correct posture, alignment, and principles.

[aikilouis]

Yes agreed.

Thoughts ?

Compliments and appreciation.

Rei, domo.

PS : Sorry sensei, I couldn't resist ! Hope you aren't too angry at me.

[danj]

IMHO, please remember that "warming up" can also be "solo training" in correct posture, alignment, and principles.

what he said...for the eager newbie and old hand its easy to confuse the bouncy movements of Tohei style lineage / derivative ryu-ha as ballistic stretching rather than something else..

[dapidmini]

I've just read the article and decided to prove it. I missed my stretching routines for a couple days and today after training my thigh muscles are sore that I'm limping a bit... so I guess that the theory doesn't work on me?

[Chris Li]

I've just read the article and decided to prove it. I missed my stretching routines for a couple days and today after training my thigh muscles are sore that I'm limping a bit... so I guess that the theory doesn't work on me?

Note that the article recommends warming up - just not static stretching. I've run long distances for years (sometimes upwards of 100 miles/week) with zero pre-run static stretching and never missed it a bit.

Best,

Chris