A warm up helps your body prepare itself for exercise both mentally and physically and reduces the chance of injury. Use this time to help prepare your mind for the exercise that will follow.

The aim is to increase circulation around the body, in a gradual manner, as not to put any pressure on the body. During the warm up any injury or illness you have can often be recognized and further injury prevented.

Extra clothing can be worn to help increase the body temperature, which in turn will make your muscles more pliable and ready to be stretched,

The warm up can be a combination of rhythmic exercises; you might want to work before you can jog.

What is important is that you do some static stretching. The body will take time to warm up properly, i.e. shut down areas such as the digestive system in order to supply the muscles with more blood.

Aim for a minimum of five minutes for a warm up and the same for stretching. When working out take into consideration that it may take a good thirty minutes for your body to be working at its best.

During cold weather and certainly if your going to do an activity which requires sudden bursts, make sure you spend more time warming up.