TheCardioClub.Net

Warming up before exercising is a must. You need to increase your body temperature and warm-up your muscles. Why? Well we all know what happens to a cold rubber band when you try to stretch it. Also, at a relaxed state, most of your blood is within your internal organs, not your muscles. Warming up through physical activity will increase your heart rate, body temperature, and flow of blood to your muscles.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that warm-ups should take about five to ten minutes. In my experience, the older (or colder) you are, the longer you need to thoroughly warm up. It’s pretty much based on your intensity level.

My warm-ups consist of mainly riding the elliptical cross trainer because it is low-impact and works both my upper and lower body. But this can get boring especially if you want to hit the weight room right away.

Recently I discovered a way to warm-up the whole body while using a modified hybrid workout routine. What’s a hybrid routine? Well if hybrid cars use a mixture of energy sources, hybrid workouts use a mixture of exercises. For example, you can take a pair of dumbbells and curl them up, and at the top of contraction you can flow right into a shoulder press. This is an example of a biceps curl and shoulder press hybrid workout.

Tools, news and resources to keep your heart pumping, blood flowing and sweat pouring.

Whether your sweatmaking sport of choice is skiing, running, in-line skating, treadmill or plain power walking, there is a place for you in the CardioClub.