Muscles are like cars. If you want it to run well in the early morning, you have to let it warm up.
It is important to warm up your joints and spine before any exercise or yoga practice to maintain good health and avoid injury.
Why warming up is important
I used to think that warming up was a "waste of time", but as my body aged, I realized that I was more prone to injury during workouts and had a longer recovery time after a workout.
Lubricate joints: Do you ever turn a joint and hear a "pop" sound? That's the bubble in your joint. Air pocketing occurs when joints become dry due to overuse. As you rotate the joint and move the spine, you bring synovial fluid into the area, like the "oil" needed to lubricate the creaking door hinges. It restores balance to the joints.
Drain excess fluid: When your joints feel swollen and difficult to move, the opposite can be true. In this case, too much fluid has entered the area, and rotating the joint will help remove the excess fluid.
Heats the muscles: The movement of the joints and spine increases blood flow and circulation in the body, which heats the muscles. This prevents injuries while exercising, as hot muscles are more likely to move and stretch than cold muscles.
Prevent injury: Since the larger muscles in your body are attached to the joints and spine, it's important to relax the attachment points of the larger muscles so they can stretch and strengthen more easily. This will make your muscles less likely to tear or twist in a harmful way during the exercise.
The following warm-up exercises can be done before any physical exercise, yoga practice to help keep the body (and mind!) in mind. Strong and healthy.
Shoulder curl: Gently turn your shoulders forward, up, backward and down 8-10 times at a steady pace. Slow down and reverse direction.
Wrist Circle: Ten fingers crossed, palms and forearms together, elbows down. Use your wrist to do 8-10 figure-eight spins. Slow down and reverse direction
Head Collar: Gently circle around your head, as if you were tracing the surface of the clock with the tip of your nose. Don't be nervous or strained. Rotate 8-10 times in one direction, then turn in another direction.
Ankle turns: These can be done in a chair or standing. Extend your right leg and circle your ankle 8-10 times in one direction. Slow down and switch sides.
Knee circles: Start in a standing position and bring your thighs and feet together. Bend your knees and place your hands above your thighs. Go around the knee 8-10 times in one direction. Slow down and switch sides.
Scoliosis: Stand with your feet apart. As you inhale, raise your right arm above your head and place your left hand on your left hip. Exhale, lift to the top left, stretch the right side. Hold your breath for 3-5 minutes. Release and repeat on the left side.
Hip Circle: Feet a little wider than the hips and slightly turned outward. Start rotating your hips in one direction, allowing your knees to bend while moving. Do this 8-10 times, then slow down and turn in a different direction.
In addition to the above, a set of common joint spine warm-up GIFs are attached:
Warm-up of ankles, instep, Achilles tendons1
Ankle, instep warm-up 2
Warm-up of the wrist 1
Wrist warm-up 2
Wrist warm-up 3
Wrist warm-up 4
Warm-up of the spine and thoracic vertebrae
The body's blood circulation can also be improved by warming up, which is very helpful for stretching the body posture. Warming up makes it easier for the body to pose and prevents injury. In addition, warming up reduces the stiffness of the body after yoga, increases oxygen supply and circulation, and reduces lactic acid production by muscles.