The Duration of an Exercise Warmup

Warming up properly before exercise can help reduce your chances of suffering an injury and can also ensure you have an effective and enjoyable workout. Typically, warmups last between five and 20 or more minutes. The duration of your warmup is dependent on a number of factors, so make sure you modify the contents and length of your warmup accordingly.

  1. Intensity of Exercise

    • The harder you intend to train, the longer your warmup should be. If you are doing maximum speed sprints or lifting heavy weights, it will take longer to take your body from its pre-exercise state to being ready to go all out. Conversely, if you are doing a low-intensity workout such as light jogging or trail walking, a much shorter warmup is more appropriate.

    Age

    • Older joints and muscles are generally less mobile and less elastic than younger joints and muscles. Where younger exercisers can be ready to workout after a short warmup, older exercisers need longer to prepare their bodies for the workout to come. This additional warmup time should be spent on joint mobility and flexibility to help remedy the joint and muscle stiffness often inherent with advanced age. Joints suffering with osteoarthritis can also be further warmed up by using neoprene sleeves.

    Temperature

    • If your workout is going to take place in cold temperatures or you feel cold, your warmup should be longer. When you are cold, blood circulation tends to be directed more toward your internal organs and away from your extremities in an attempt to maintain your core temperature. To have a good, safe workout, you need to redirect that blood to the muscles, and that means a longer than normal warmup. On the other hand, if you are exercising in a warm environment, a shorter warmup is more appropriate.

    Time of Day

    • If you like to exercise first thing in the morning or after a long period of sitting, you need to increase the duration of your warmup. Being immobile can leave your muscles and joints feeling stiff and your body ill-prepared for vigorous exercise. Additionally, spend extra time mobilizing your spine to ensure this important, complex and potentially fragile joint is ready for your planned workout.