Treadmill Warmup | Garage Gym Reviews

Have you ever wanted to get more out of your treadmill? Did you know that you could use it to help warm up your body for just about any workout, from strength training to HIIT to traditional cardio? Have you been skipping a warmup because you think it will take too long and just don’t want to think about how to add one more thing to your to-do list?

It doesn’t have to be long or complicated! There are multiple ways you can add treadmill warmups to your regular routine. When done properly, an efficient treadmill warmup can have your muscles primed and ready to work.

Why Warmups Matter

According to one study, an effective warmup can improve performance in both aerobic and anaerobic activities. How? It gently raises your heart rate and primes the muscles for what they are preparing to do. 

One other key finding from the study was that if the warmup was not tailored to the workout, the participant actually experienced adverse effects. Therefore, a good warmup routine isn’t just anything that gets you moving, but rather, something that is specific to your workout plan. For example, if you’re going to be running on a treadmill, an effective warmup should target lower-body muscles such as the hip flexors, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 

The American Heart Association points out that a good warmup also:

• Increases oxygen to the muscles
• Raises muscle temperature for better flexibility
• Raises the heart rate to prime the respiratory and circulatory systems

Studies have shown that performing dynamic stretches prior to exercise will increase your range of motion, which may prevent injury or increase performance.

How Long Should You Warm Up?

If you have put off adding in a warmup because you think you don’t have time we encourage you to rethink this myth. You can complete a solid, total-body warmup in just 5-10 minutes. Going longer than that could potentially have negative effects on your workout, but cutting your warmup too short may mean you aren’t prepared to exercise. Simple and effective are all you are looking for here. Don’t overcomplicate it.