P. Santamarta // Dpto. Educacin Fsica // I.E.S. El Astillero.

Traducido por Ana Santiago

Warm-up is a collection of physical exercises of general and specific
character which prepare the organism for a physical activity more
strenuous than usual.

The fundamental objectives of the warm-up are:
To avoid the risk of injuries.
To prepare to the organism systems to do the later
exercises.



WARM-UP EFFECTS
To raise the temperature and the flexibility of the muscles. It makes
the movement easier.
It improves coordination and prepares us
psychologically.
To raise the breathing frequency to capture
more oxygen.
To raise the heart frequency (beats) to send
more blood (with oxygen and nutrients) to the
muscles
To avoid all kind of muscular, joint
injuries.


THE WARM-UP
P. Santamarta // Dpto. Educacin Fsica // I.E.S. El Astillero. Traducido por Ana Santiago

WARM-UP STRUCTURE
Warm-up consists of some fundamental parts which never must be
missing:
Movements exercises (races, games)
Joint mobility exercises.
Muscular elasticity exercises (stretching).




FACTORS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE WARM-UP

When we have to warm-up we mustnt forget some fundamental
factors in order to do it correctly:

1. The exercises always have to follow one order in rising direction
(from down to up) or descending (from up to down). Besides, you
must put them into groups in each part of the warm-up (elasticity,
joint mobility, movements)
2. The duration must last between 5 and 10 minutes in Physical
Education classes. You must devote it more time for other more
strenuous activities.
3. The intensity must rise progressively, you must start gently and
you must raise it gradually.
4. You mustnt make sudden efforts or movements with a great
difficulty.









P. Santamarta // Dpto. Educacin Fsica // I.E.S. El Astillero. Traducido por Ana Santiago

TYPES OF WARM-UP
Depending on the purpose we can distinguish two fundamental kinds
of warm-up:
General warm-up; it is used to prepare us to do any kind of activity
and it involves all the parts of the organism. They will be global
exercises moving all the body, alternating the different parts of the
same, and stretching. ALWAYS.

Specific warm-up; it will prepare us for one more specific activity.
So, we must consider in its execution the sport or the activity were
going to do later and to have a bearing on the body parts which get
most involved in this activity or sport.
We will do technique elements and specific movements of the
activity too. For this part, when we start a new sport, we will look for
specific stretching which prepare our body better for the next
activity.


KEEP ON MOVING, BUT WARM
UP BEFORE, PLEASE!!!