What is the best way to warm up before dance class, a practice or activity?
I have been dancing for over 20 years and during that time I have modified and adjusted my warm up routine many times. As I have grown up, gone through school and have done more training I have learned a lot about how to get the most from my warm up.
First of all, what is the purpose of a warm up? There are many reasons to warm up before any activity whether it is running, dancing or playing basketball...
- Increases body temperature which reduces the likelihood of injury
- Increases blood flow to the muscles which helps deliver more nutrients to the muscles
- Increases blood flow to the heart reducing likelihood of cardiac events
- Preps the muscles to get them ready for the exercise ahead, which helps with soreness even after the activity
- Helps increase the speed of nerve impulses which tell your muscles what to do