What Type of Warm-Up Should I Do?

A warm-up for a walking program emphasizes gentle movements that use the entire body, such as reaching to the sky. It concentrates on the calves (heel cords), hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip muscles. Chapter 5 discusses the different types of stretching and range of motion exercises. For activities that do not call for rapid, ballistic motions, stretching before the activity does not appear to be as important for preventing injury as stretching after the activity. Nevertheless, the muscles and systems that will be stressed need to be warmed up. Active stretches, such as range of motion movements, get blood flowing to the muscles. Do 5 to 10 repetitions of each range of motion. If you are feeling stiff, add some short stretches. After a few warm-up moves, you can start with a slow walk and then gradually increase your speed until you have reached your target intensity. Remember, you should feel that you can maintain this speed (intensity) throughout your walk.