Why warm-up? According to the American Council on Exercise, a warm up does the following:
- Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature
- Produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions
- Increases your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles more quickly
- Prevents injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles
- Gives you better muscle control by speeding up your neural message pathways to the muscles
- Allows you to work out comfortably longer because all your energy systems are able to adjust to exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood
- Improves joint range of motion
- Psychologically prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your arousal and focus on exercise
