What type of warm-ups do you recommend?

[KenpoTess]

Do you do anything specific for warming up pre working out or after?

Post your tips and tricks for stretching, toning, shaping here, along with anything helpful to the female Martial artist.

[TheLady]

I usually limber up my joints before working out - fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, back, hips, knees and ankles.

Just a note: Don't stretch to the point of pain. Stretch until you feel tight, relax and hold that position for a few seconds, then exhale and go a little further, hold that position, etc.

Here are some ideas for stretching after working out:

Back:
- lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest. Wrap your arms around your legs and slooowly rock from side to side. It feels really nice on the lower back.

- lie on your back. Bring the right leg over the left and touch the floor with your right knee. Try to keep your right shoulder on the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Chest:
Put your arm out to the side. With the palm facing forward, bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Brace your arm/hand against a wall and rotate your body forward, i.e. don't push with your arm, use your body to stretch.

Legs:
Sit with your legs in front of you, knees straight. Try to bend forward to touch your head on your knees.

Sit with your legs in front of you. Spread your legs out and put your hands on the floor between your legs. Reach as far forward as you can.


2 or more people:

- facing your partner, grasp them by the wrists. Both rotate so you're facing away from each other. Squat slightly so that your butt is below your partner's and bend forward to pick them up off their feet. (I can lift someone about 2x my weight this way.) They should just relax - make sure you stand up slowly to put them back on their feet! (Kinda defeats the purpose if you drop them on their head)

- find 4 people you trust :D Lie on your back and have each one grab a limb. They should lift you off the floor and slowly pull outward. They can also gently move you up and down (like birthday bumps without the bumps)

- lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Your partner stands over you and grasps your wrists. They rotate your arms so that your palms are facing inward and then bring your arms up and in (a little). You have to be very careful with this one.

Janice

Legal disclaimer:
I'm not a doctor or a therapist of any type. Listen to your own body when doing any physical exercise. Do these exercises at your own risk. Don't run with sharp objects. Pay off your credit cards in full each month.

[Kenpo Mama]

Janice has recommended some pretty nice stretches - just one more that I would add would be going to a half wall or counter and placing hands on the counter palm down and walking back as you bend to 90 degrees. Keep your hips in line with knees in line with the ankles and let you arms stretch. Draw your head between your arms stretching shoulders, back and hamstrings. This is a wonderful stretch. Keep your gaze down at the floor and then bend your knees, hold onto the wall or counter as you do this and let the buttocks release toward the floor. Then walking in about a foot, straighten through the back of the legs and enjoy the stretch as you hang back. To release this stretch bend the knees again and walk toward the wall or counter and slowly straighten up.

As Janice has stated - always honor your limitations and boundaries - never stretch to the point of pain.

Donna :asian:

[KenpoTess]

These are great ~!

How about for females that are super limber, ones that the normal stretch just isn't going to do a thing for?

Or how about for the martial artist with limitations..

[Abbax8]

Your posted subject is warmups. Stretches ARE NOT warmups. They are stretches. A warmup is an activity to raise the heart rate and begin the body to sweat, preparing it for the more stressful actvity to come. Examples of warmups would be easy running in place, low impact jumping, etc. In my class I use breakfalls as warmups. We start on the ground slow, and pick up the pace to standing falls and rolls. Stretches are part of the cool down process. A warm muscle stretches much better than a cold one.

Peace
Dennis

[Kenpo Mama]

Hi Tess and Dennis,

In addition to our regular warm-up execises of jacks, push-ups, punches, kicks, sit-ups and running we do perform some light pre-stretching and then move on to some individualized stretching after the warm-ups.

For those individuals with limitations (bad knees, tight hips, hamstrings, etc.) most of the stretches can be modified with the use of props, such as belts or towels. A simple bound angular posture (aka "butterfly pose") is a great post warm-up stretch, that is easily modified or intensified based upon the individual's degree of flexibility. Drawing the soles of the feet together as you sit on the floor, work the heels close to the perineal area, holding the ankles, sit tall on the sitz bones, lengthen the spine and let the knees descend. Then depending upon your flexibility, begin to fold forward at the hips leading with the chin and sternum toward the big toes. Keep the spine enlongated, this posture stretches the hips, inner groin, and lower back. This posture can be modified by placing towels under the knees and keeping your forward bend at a comfortable level.

Enjoy,

Namaste

Donna :asian:

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by Abbax8
Your posted subject is warmups. Stretches ARE NOT warmups. They are stretches. A warmup is an activity to raise the heart rate and begin the body to sweat, preparing it for the more stressful actvity to come. Examples of warmups would be easy running in place, low impact jumping, etc. In my class I use breakfalls as warmups. We start on the ground slow, and pick up the pace to standing falls and rolls. Stretches are part of the cool down process. A warm muscle stretches much better than a cold one.

Peace
Dennis


Hello Dennis,

I think everyone has their own idea of warmups, for their particular class format. I am generalizing the term warmups to incorporate a wide variety of exercises to benefit the Female martial artist in particular.
I know for a fact that if I don't cold stretch before my workout begins.. I tear muscles. .. It's not as intense as an after workout stretch.. but gives a limbering effect so when I do get on the mats I'm not rigid and it warms the muscles to kick etc.

Thanks for your input :)
Alls good~!

Tess

[kenposikh]

Hi Folks,

My name is Amrik and I teach here in the UK under the British Kenpo Karate Union.

UNder our organisation each instructor has to undergo a fitness training course where we learn modern methods of physical development.

1. Cardio vascular which is built up steadily by say a walking pace moving to a fast walk and then possibly a jog.

2. HIgh heart rate maintenance phase

3. a cool down phase

4. A Stretching phase

5. Power Building phase press ups, sit ups etc

6 a final stretching phase

This does all take time but is certainly very beneficial to the students as they do not feel shattered after this and then into training.

[KenpoTess]

Hi Amrik :) Welcome to the Boards ~!
Sounds like a professional venue your instructors undertake. This is excellent~!

Tess





Originally posted by kenposikh
Hi Folks,

My name is Amrik and I teach here in the UK under the British Kenpo Karate Union.

UNder our organisation each instructor has to undergo a fitness training course where we learn modern methods of physical development.

1. Cardio vascular which is built up steadily by say a walking pace moving to a fast walk and then possibly a jog.

2. HIgh heart rate maintenance phase

3. a cool down phase

4. A Stretching phase

5. Power Building phase press ups, sit ups etc

6 a final stretching phase

This does all take time but is certainly very beneficial to the students as they do not feel shattered after this and then into training.

[kenposikh]

Originally posted by KenpoTess
Hi Amrik :) Welcome to the Boards ~!
Sounds like a professional venue your instructors undertake. This is excellent~!

Tess

Hi Tess thanks can I quote you on that:D

Our organistation in the UK is not professional as such the instructors teach out of love for the art and not profit.

We do take things on a professional manner, fitness training courses for the instructors, Sports first aid courses etc.

Thank you an I'm glad to be hear.

[KenpoTess]

Originally posted by kenposikh
Hi Tess thanks can I quote you on that:D

Our organistation in the UK is not professional as such the instructors teach out of love for the art and not profit.

We do take things on a professional manner, fitness training courses for the instructors, Sports first aid courses etc.

Thank you an I'm glad to be hear.

Sure Armik :)

And I'm very pleased to hear that the instructors teach out of love for the art and not for profit.. *though we do like to pay the rent :D * We are the same way at our studio. Profit is in no way shape or form part of our way.. though maybe someday down the road it would be an added bonus .. Meanwhile we will keep teaching just because this is what we love to do most :)

[MartialArtsChic]

We run - forward, facing inside, facing outside, do situps, pushups most of the time then stretch. Other times we do breakfalls and yet other times, we jump in place and then do jumping jacks - which I've found doesn't feel good if you have boobs. lol, after that we stretch then start class.



MartialArtsChic

[arnisador]

I kind of like just starting to practice my techniques, rather than only practicing after an extensive warm-up. It's a change in my attitude over the years. I also put more emphasis nowadays on regularly practicing to the point of feeling some real exhaustion so I see how my techniques work under stress!

[Rich Parsons]

I like a few Jumping Jacks, and Push Ups and Sit-up/Stomache Crunches. I also like using Sinawalis as a warm up.