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One warm up mistake is the neck roll. Rolling
the neck will rub and grind together the axis vertebrae of the
neck. This will adversely affect the spine. In stretching the
neck, there are only three different ways to do it. First, move
the head forward and backward. Second, twist your neck to the
left and right. And third, lean your head close to the shoulder,
first to the right shoulder and then next to the left shoulder.
Another common mistake when warming up is throwing
the arms back behind the body. This abrupt motion will weaken
the ligaments at the shoulder joints. The hyper-extension will
eventually rip apart the pectoral muscles. To safely and properly
warm up the arms and shoulders, circular motions are effective.
And in all exercises, controlled and deliberate movements must
be done.
Doing a bunny hop is another mistake. This
strains the knees and will lead to fatal injuries. The best
way to warm up the knees is to use circular motions. These motions
must be coming from the hips and ankles while the knees are
locked in a slight bend. Knee bounces are fine as long as you
know what you are doing. That is, you do not overextend.
Yanking your body is a big mistake. For example,
in back stretches, some people who are trying to bring their
head towards the right knee will hold the right leg and use
this hold as leverage to pull the upper torso closer and lower.
This will not add to a person’s flexibility. It will only force
the muscles to shorten themselves. And this can be excruciatingly
painful. The best way to warm up and do back stretches is to
go as far as your upper body can go and then hold this position
for about six seconds. Your head may not go as far as you want
it to be, but be patient about it. Eventually, you will achieve
the ability of a contortionist if you do all your stretching
exercises the right way.
In a hurdle stretch, the common mistake of
people is to stretch their bodies too far that the hip of the
leg being stretched is lifted off the floor. A lifted hip is
a sign that there is overstretching. Again, the best way to
go is to move your body as far as it can and hold the position.
Sitting back between the legs should be done
only by people who have achieved superior suppleness. This position
should be avoided by beginners because this would the damage
the ligaments of both knees.
We hope
that by knowing these mistakes, you will have a safer warm up
exercise.
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