I frequent the gym at my school as a supplement to training (although it's not really that frequent, unfortunately) where I've had the opportunity to observe many different types of people engrossed in training. Professors and occasional outsiders pass through too, so there is a fair mix of people even if the majority are college-aged.
As a martial artist, I spend a relatively significant portion of my time at the gym doing warm-ups and stretches, both before and after workouts. But as a general rule, I'm the only one on the mat area for more than a five minute period. Our gym sees power lifters, runners, muscle buffs, boxers, wrestlers -- all sorts of people training, of both sexes, but with rare exception they tend to avoid the mat with something nearing ferocity.
Even those that do come spend more time on pushups, situps, and circuit exercises than on stretching. This tendency seems to be more prevalent in males than females, though even members of the women's running team, who I know need to stay limber, will barely limber up before moving on to strength training exercises.
I fear to seem like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but this really has me wondering. Granted, not everyone needs to stretch and warm up the same way, and I know I like to take my sweet time. Yet is the belief that a good warm-up can do wonders for your workout really so rare?
I would think the benefits of at least minimal stretching would be well understood, and so many athletes of various sorts have been injured from lack of flexibility, or related consequences. So I have to wonder...what's going on? Am I the only one who thinks working carefully with your body is crucial? Or maybe it's only martial artists? I confess myself confused.
As a martial artist, I spend a relatively significant portion of my time at the gym doing warm-ups and stretches, both before and after workouts. But as a general rule, I'm the only one on the mat area for more than a five minute period. Our gym sees power lifters, runners, muscle buffs, boxers, wrestlers -- all sorts of people training, of both sexes, but with rare exception they tend to avoid the mat with something nearing ferocity.
Even those that do come spend more time on pushups, situps, and circuit exercises than on stretching. This tendency seems to be more prevalent in males than females, though even members of the women's running team, who I know need to stay limber, will barely limber up before moving on to strength training exercises.
I fear to seem like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but this really has me wondering. Granted, not everyone needs to stretch and warm up the same way, and I know I like to take my sweet time. Yet is the belief that a good warm-up can do wonders for your workout really so rare?
I would think the benefits of at least minimal stretching would be well understood, and so many athletes of various sorts have been injured from lack of flexibility, or related consequences. So I have to wonder...what's going on? Am I the only one who thinks working carefully with your body is crucial? Or maybe it's only martial artists? I confess myself confused.