Winter Warm-Up: A Crucial Routine

As the mornings grow darker and the challenge of leaving the warmth of your bed get harder and harder, it's evident that winter is well on its way.

In this season, where the natural heat for our muscles diminishes, muscles feeling a bit tighter becomes an all too familiar feeling. The importance of stretching, warming up, and ensuring muscle mobility before a workout becomes paramount in winter. Here are our top tips and favored products for maintaining flexibility during the colder months:

Longer Stretching: Colder temperatures demand extended stretching to prepare your muscles adequately for a workout. What might suffice as a 15-minute warm-up in summer should be extended to 20 minutes or more in winter to counteract the inherent stiffness in the muscles. While the stretches can remain the same, we recommend, gradually increasing the difficulty or resistance as the muscle fibers relax, warm-up, and become more adaptable to the added resistance.

Keep warm – dress warm.  It's crucial to maintain a comfortable body temperature before breaking a sweat during your workout. Avoid tight and stiff muscles by choosing the right clothing. Consider adding a hoodie over your usual top or opting for long tracksuit pants instead of shorts. Even consider a hat, as we lose a lot of heat from our heads. The correct clothing worn can play a significant role in retaining heat during the winter months.

Take a Bath: Beyond being a relaxation method, a warm bath can work wonders for your muscles during periods of inactivity. Warm water aids in muscle relaxation, reduces inflammation, and can enhance muscle elasticity. Boost these benefits by adding Epsom salts or your favorite bath bomb which can further improve circulation, relax the nervous system, and contribute to overall muscle relaxation during your downtime from exercising.

Choose the Right Resistance Band: Selecting the appropriate resistance level is a crucial aspect of an effective warm-up. Ensure that the resistance is sufficient without being overly strenuous during your warm-up to prime your muscles for the upcoming workout. Too low a resistance can lead to muscle fatigue without adequate warm-up, while excessive resistance too soon can have unfavorable consequences.

Looking for a winning winter warm-up combination? Then explore our recovery products, as well as some of our favorite resistance training and warm-up routine products, such as our massage balls and flexibands.