Why Your Generic Warm Up Is Actually Increasing Your Risk of Injury

The Theology of the Warm Up

Using spiritual disciplines as analogies for how we care for our temples shows how God’s thumbprint is on every field of expertise. When it comes to the highs and lows of our day, we know the importance of starting with biblical (foundational) disciplines that are aimed strategically at our dysfunctions.

Every day should start in the presence of the Lord with the spiritual disciplines of prayer, praise, and the Word of God. Scripture tells us we must be thankful and full of praise toward the Lord in prayer before intercession. We see this in Philippians 4:4-7:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This can be done with worship music or by opening your morning prayer with thanks. As my mother embedded in me every morning, we can look to Psalm 118:24:

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

We meet with Him to be armed with the Armor of God against temptations or weak points. We ask for His strength to walk through the day. We are refueled by His Word through a pure, undistracted time of meditation. This allows us to go about our day aiming toward the goal of freedom in Him and preventing spiritual injury.

Stop Wasting Your Warm Up

I use this same approach for warm ups when I train clients. Nothing irritates me more than when I see a trainer or client do a generic dynamic warm up. If I see you doing high knees, butt kicks, and jumping jacks without a purpose, I have to wonder what you are doing. I roll my eyes when I see a trainer put a client on the treadmill and stare at them for five minutes. That is just wasting everyone’s time.

Your warm up should be specific to your dysfunctions and focused on preparing you for stress. This is just like your mornings with God. Most of us have past injuries or physical dysfunctions. Maybe you have flat feet that cause your knees to cave when you squat. Maybe you sit all day for work, which causes low back pain and tight hips. While your job or your anatomy might not change, a great warm up counteracts these issues to prevent further injury.

You do not stop doing these exercises just because you no longer feel pain. Just like your morning routine with God, you do not stop seeking His face just because you are in the middle of a blessing. You must continue to address your specific anatomy and lifestyle forever. This is exactly like walking with Jesus.

The Anatomy of a Great Warm Up

So, what is the perfect makeup of a great warm up? It should include these five elements:

1. Full Range of Motion: Address previous joint or muscular injuries by taking those specific problem spots through their full range of motion.

2. Static Stretching: Use stretches that address the stiffness from your daily lifestyle. Yes, static stretching in the warm up is needed!!

3. Load Preparation: Imitate your lifting program for the day with bodyweight exercises. Use pulses, slow eccentrics, and holds for optimal results to prepare the body for weight.

4. Enjoyment and Relief: Include specific exercises that bring you relief or excitement. This helps prepare a body that may not be excited to start a workout.

5. Intentionality: Make sure every single time you work out, you spend time addressing what causes you aches and pains.

I am currently in the process of creating ebooks for all of these tactics. I realized that being voted number one in the world for corrective exercise in 2024 and top three in 2021 means I need to get this information out there. I want to help my Jesus-believing friends who care about honoring their temples! Love yall as always and thanks for reading 🙂

Disclaimer: I am a certified professional in corrective exercise and have my Bachelor in Kinesiology, but the information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or physical pain. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.