TRAINING
A Basic Warm-up Routine
Components of a warm-up Since we are all different you will need to individualise your own warm-up and be prepared to vary it according to how you feel on the day, the weather and the specific circumstances of the event or training run you are about to undertake. However, this article outlines some general principles that you can use to base your warm-up on and includes some examples.
Steve Bird
Introduction
I
N the previous article1 I outlined the reasons why it’s a good idea to warm up before an orienteering competition or strenuous training session. Indeed, even before going out for a steady jog, some form of warm up is recommended. In brief, the reasons for warming up are as follows: 1. It can improve performance. 2. It may help to prevent injury. 3. It can help to prepare you mentally for the event.
In addition to these benefits there is a further reason for warming up. It has been shown that in a great proportion of ‘normal’ people, doing strenuous exercise without a prior warm up causes irregular electrical activity in the heart (cardiac arrhythmia). However, if a suitable warm up is undertaken before the strenuous exercise, then this irregularity is greatly reduced or absent2. Warm Up Phase 1 – Gentle Loosening This phase concentrates upon gradually mobilising the joints and gently getting the muscles working. This is especially important if it is cold or you have been sitting in the car for sometime whilst driving to the event. All the loosening exercises presented in this section should be performed in a slow, controlled manner at a rate of about one repetition a second. All rotation movements should be repeated about 6 - 10 times in both directions, with the emphasis of each exercise being on gently easing the joint through its maximum range of movement. 1. Ankle rotations In a seated or standing position slowly circle one foot in a clockwise direction. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction. Repeat the process using the other leg. 2. Heel raises Stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Then alternately raise and lower your heels off the ground whilst keeping both feet in contact with the ground.
This will produce a gentle jogging motion that should be gradually increased until you are lifting each foot off the ground and are jogging on the spot. This exercise should be performed for at least 30 seconds. 3. Hip rotations Stand on one leg holding onto a support for balance. Slowly rotate the raised leg by moving the knee towards the mid-line of the body and then away in a large circular movement. Repeat in both directions and on both legs. 4. Spinal rotations Stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Then slowly rotate your upper body in a circular motion. Repeat in both directions.
38 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
A pre-exercise warm-up routine should consist of the following phases: 1. General loosening up. 2. Walking and/or jogging. 3. Static stretching.
The physical demands of orienteering requires that the emphasis of the pre-exercise routine be upon preparing the feet, ankles, legs, knees and hips for the activity, since they will be doing most of the work, as well as being the most vulnerable to injury. The exercises illustrated in this routine have been selected for their effectiveness and convenience. For example, some authorities may prefer a seated hamstring stretch to the standing version mentioned here. However, it is not always the most convenient to perform in the car-park or assembly area if the ground is wet, muddy, rocky or covered with fallen leaves etc.
Warm Up Phase 2 – Walking and Jogging The aim of this phase is to elevate the heart rate, increase the blood flow to the muscles and raise the temperature of the muscles, tendons and joints. In most events this can be undertaken on the way to the start and whether you choose to walk or jog will depend upon your level of fitness and how vigorously you intend to go round the course. If you are just going out on a training jog, you can include it by ensuring that the first 5 - 10 minutes are at an easy pace below your normal training speed. Even if going off on a steady run, you should start off at a walk or very gentle jog and gradually increase your speed up to your full training pace over the first few minutes. Gentle jogging will increase the flow of blood to the exercising muscles by: 1. Increasing the heart rate. 2. Opening up the blood vessels in the muscles. 3. Diverting blood from areas such as the gut. These responses will last for several minutes after the warm up has ceased and have the effect of increasing the supply of oxygen to the muscles. This makes the early part of your run seem easier and prevents premature fatigue
occurring in the first few minutes of the run. Failing to warm up can cause an inadequate supply of oxygen to the muscles, resulting in an unnecessary build up of lactic acid which will be felt as a burning, aching sensation in the legs even at relatively slow speeds. Gentle jogging will also increase the temperature of the muscles, enabling the energy releasing reactions to occur faster and making the muscle fluids less viscous. The muscles can then contract faster against less internal resistance, thereby making running easier. Co-ordination and balance can also be improved by warming up (an important aspect if starting out over rough terrain). So it may be a good idea to do some of your warm-up off the tracks and on the typical orienteering ground. How much jogging you do in the warm up will, of course, depend upon the weather, how you feel on the day and, quite simply, some individuals prefer to do more than others. It is up to you to find out what suits you, but as a general guideline, it should be sufficient to induce a slight sweat. So on cold days you should wear additional clothing whilst warming up.
