Provision #513: Warm Up
by Bob Tschannen-Moran
LifeTrek Laser Provision
Professional athletes are not the only ones who need to warm up. Everyday
activities, from the most sedentary to the most vigorous, go better when we take
the time to warm up. Think of it as preparation. From the start of the day to
the end of the day and all throughout the day, moving our bodies gradually,
gently, dynamically, holistically, and completely is a great way to promote full
engagement. By paying attention to the transitions, we improve our chances for
success and significance in life and work. Read on for some tips on how to make
it so.
LifeTrek Provision
Have you ever watched dogs wake up? Unless they are startled, they wake up by
warming up. First, they stretch, then they yawn -- a big yawn -- then they
stretch again, then they yawn again. Front legs, back legs, neck, shoulders, and
hind quarters. Then they get a drink, and perhaps a bite of food, if it's
available, before going outside to walk, do their business, and walk some more.
May that be a lesson for us all. When we shift from one activity to another,
it's important to warm up all the muscles of our body. To go from stillness to
all-out effort with no warm up in between is a formula for not only minimizing
our performance and enjoyment of the effort but also for risking injury and even
death. By failing to respect the laws of motion, especially inertia and
momentum, we set ourselves up for failure.
That may, in fact, be the reason why many people fail to stick with an exercise
program. They don't pay attention to the transitions and what it takes to
successfully get into motion a body at rest. The more violent the transition,
like breaking a set of pool balls, the more noise, unpredictability, and chaos
in the resulting action. It just isn't fun, unless you enjoy extreme sports. The more
gradual the transition, however, like that dog waking up, the more music, intention,
and attention in the resulting action. Warming up makes everything easier and more
enjoyable.
Classroom teachers know that success or failure depends upon careful
attention to the transitions. Once a class has their instructions and gets
engaged in a learning activity, things tend to proceed smoothly and dynamically.
Teachers can float around the room to help individual students, to identify
learning gaps, or even to engage in other activities. That's how momentum works.
People get into flow and things proceed more or less on autopilot.
Transitioning to the next activity is another matter entirely. Getting students
to stop doing one thing and to start doing another takes a lot more effort.
These are also the points where things can really fall apart. If the
instructions aren't clear, if the students don't want to stop, if they have other needs,
if the room isn't ready, if the equipment isn't handy -- there are countless
reasons why classes may fall apart at the transition points. Excellent lesson
plans take all this into consideration. They plan not only the activities; they
also plan the transitions. How do we get from one activity to the next? Therein
lies the crux of successfully getting through the school day.
Therein also lies the crux of getting through life in general. Optimal Fitness
requires us to pay careful attention to the transitions. As we said last week
Click, we
first need to plan out the quantity of our transitions. The more frequent the
better. Even during sleep, our bodies naturally shift, turn, roll around, and
move. That's even more important during waking hours. To do the same activity in
the same way using the same muscles in the same position and the same plane for
hours at a time with no breaks and no diversions is a formula for disaster.
We're just not made to work that way. Shift frequently.
After we get in the groove of frequent transitions, we then need to plan out the
quality of our transitions. That's where today's Provision comes into play. We
need to warm up. We need to stretch, twist, yawn, scratch, drink, and wag like a
dog. Our transitions need to be gradual, gentle, dynamic, embodied, holistic,
and complete. And that goes for far more transitions than most of us realize.
Everyone knows that athletes warm up before their competitions. They just
wouldn't think of pushing their bodies full force from a cold start. Not
everyone realizes, however, that the activities of everyday life require the
same degree of thoughtful and engaged preparation. Whether it's doing laundry or sitting at a
computer, whether it's shopping or participating in a meeting, whether it's yard
work or reading a book, whether it's building roads or driving on them -- every
single activity challenges us to apply ourselves and to expend energy.
That means every single activity represents a kind of competition for which we
would do well to warm up. The times before we do whatever we do, the transition
points, are opportunities to prepare ourselves for what comes next. Teachers
understand this when they ask their students to stand and stretch between
activities or when the class is acting restless. Meeting planners understand
this when they schedule "bio breaks." Sleepy drivers understand this when they
stop, get out of the car, and walk around.
No matter what we are doing, the
body, mind, and spirit need to be fully aligned and engaged if we hope to be
successful and satisfied with our performance. Warm ups enable us to get that
way, whether we are about to run a marathon, complete an assignment, or give a
speech. Warm ups are good things to do.
One of the most simple and gentle of warm ups are a series of three standing
poses recommended by Susan and Larry Terkel in their book Small Change. They can
be done virtually anywhere and any time to warm us up for activities at any
level.
- Downward Facing Pose. Stand about three feet away from a table, desk,
sink, or counter top. Place your feet hip distance across and pointing
forward. Bend forward from the waist, with legs straight, and grab the edge.
Draw your tailbone away from the edge, elongate the spine, look up slightly,
and then arch your back. With your tailbone six to eight inches behind your
heels, breathe deeply and hold the pose for 30-45 seconds (or through five
deep breaths). Smile.
- Upward Facing Pose. With your feet in the same position, stand up
straight, then bring your hips forward toward the edge of the table or
counter top, without moving your feet or bending your knees. Rise up on your
toes while pushing down on the edge with straight arms, into a standing
backbend. Roll your shoulders back, gaze at the ceiling, breathe deeply, and
hold the pose for 30-45 seconds (or through five deep breaths). Smile.
- Standing Tall Pose. Bring your feet together, toes and ankles touching,
and stand as tall as possible. Your shoulders should line up over your hips,
over your knees, over your ankles, and over the front of your heels. Take
several deep breaths while standing erect but not tight or tense. Smile.
These poses are best done dynamically, in two to three minutes, as one pose
flows gently and gradually into the other. There should be a sensation of mild
warmth and openness. They relax and invigorate at the same time. They get us
ready for what comes next, whether quiet and sedentary or loud and active.
If you have a few more minutes, less than six total, you may want to consider a
routine called the "Dynamic Warm Up" by Ron Jones
Click. I like it because it is more comprehensive and dynamic than the three
standing poses. It is also easy to follow (after practicing the movements and
using the cue card
Click).
It is a great way to transition into work or vigorous exercise.
Ron's warm up uses, works, and builds the following dynamics:
- Joint Stability -- the ability to maintain a posture or control motion.
- Joint Mobility -- the ability to move both proactively and reactively.
- Core Muscles -- the ability to stabilize the spine whether at rest or in movement.
- Functional Balance -- the ability to recover balance after imbalance.
- Propioceptive Demand -- the ability to perceive and regulate movement.
- End-Range Position -- the ability to meet movement requirements without injury.
To strengthen these six abilities, Ron's warm-up walks people through
ten dynamic movements. Based upon your level of readiness and fitness, the
movements can be done at greater or lesser levels of intensity. The best way to
learn and practice these movements is to purchase and use Ron's DVD
Click. There
you will have 4-5 minutes of instruction on each movement as well as a tempo
warm-up that works through all ten movements in less than 6 minutes. The titles
alone give you a sense of how these movements work to warm up and challenge all parts
of the body:
- Spinal Rotation
- Scorpion
- Calf Stretch
- Squat & Back Extension
- Single-Leg Balance Reach
- Forward Lunge Reach
- Backward Lunge Twist
- Drop Lunge
- Lateral Lunge Reach
- Spinal Flexion/Extension & Shoulder Retraction
Like the Terkels' three standing poses, Ron's dynamic warm up can be used periodically
throughout the day, at the transition points. It's obviously an excellent way to warm up
before vigorous exercise, whether aerobic or strength training. But it's also an
excellent way to get into and out of our daily activities.
Amateur athletes who are pressed for time would do well to note the importance
of warming up. If one only has 20 minutes to work out, it is better to warm up
for 6 minutes and then to work out for another 14 than to jump immediately into
the workout at high intensity. Cramming in a workout without warming up is a
formula for discouragement and injury. It is a great way for the "weekend
warrior" to end up back on the couch.
Don't let that happen to you. Warm up before exercise and other activities.
Become intentional about the things you do before you do things. Don't rush from
one thing to the next, without adequate and appropriate preparation. Take
lessons from that dog! It's really not hard to do.
Coaching Inquiries: What kind of attention do you pay to warming up? What would
it take to incorporate either the three standing poses or the dynamic warm up
into your daily routine? When would be good times to do these? Who could do them
with you? How could you make it so?
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LifeTrek Readers' Forum (selected feedback
from the past week)
Editor's Note: The LifeTrek Readers' Forum contains selections from the comments
and materials sent in each week by the readers of LifeTrek Provisions. They do
not necessarily reflect the perspective of LifeTrek Coaching International. To
submit your comment,
Email Bob.
I love your newsletter and look forward to each new issue. Your positive
suggestions are so uplifting and make such good sense! I especially enjoy the
way you share the thoughts and writings of others you meet during your travels.
Congratulations on your daughter's fine academic accomplishment. I know you are
so proud of her!
Your Provision, Shift Frequently Click,
challenges me to get back to track. I have been letting a few things slip by
lately. Thanks for the inspiration. PS -- Congratulations to your
daughter...hope she is ready for the next phase.
This has been an excellent series, and this one is my favorite even at 5:30 am
(certainly not sleeping enough). I have listed my cup fillers, now the question
is "how/where can I fit them in my day without it becoming a burden? Thank you
for the knowledge you share. I certainly look forward to your email every
Sunday.
I like this series since there is so much in it that I can use myself, even
though I am so physically challenged nowadays. » Top
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
U.S.A.
Telephone: 757-345-3452
Fax: 772-382-3258
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