A regular warm up routine is an essential component of any athlete’s program irrespective of their age or competition level. This maneuver is performed in order to prepare the musculoskeletal aspect of the body from strenuous physical activity. These kinds of activities are intended to enhance physical performance in sports and also to prevent sports related injuries. Warming up prior to participation in sports prepares the mind, heart, muscles and joints for play. Primarily warm up maneuvers are used for increasing body temperature and are classified in three main categories. The passive warm up, the general warm up and the specific warm up. The most effective out of the three appears to be the specific warm up as this method provides a rehearsal sort prior to the activity itself. Majority of the benefits related to the warm up technique are associated with the physiological changes arising as a result of temperature changes inside the body or the specific site. Elevation in the body temperature produces an increase in the dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin and myoglobin, further lowering of the activation energy rates of metabolic chemical reactions, the blood flow increases, there is also reduction in muscle viscosity, an increase in the sensitivity of nerve receptors and an increase in the speed of nervous impulses. Warm-up also aides in increasing the muscle elasticity thus reducing the likelihood of sports related injuries. It is extremely important to formulate a warm up session separately for each and every athlete according to their physical capabilities and keeping in consideration the environmental factors which may alter the temperature response.
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