Factors Influencing Warm-ups

Rest Days

Athletes need a longer warm-up after a day completely off training. It takes longer to regain coordination and mobility after resting. Recovery allows the muscles and the nervous system to relax completely, so giving the body a longer and more specific warm-up helps wake things up again after a rest.

Multiple Sessions in a Day

With multiple sessions scheduled in a day, the subsequent sessions need less of a warm-up than those first thing in the morning. Within a three-to-four-hour window, the amount of warm-up required is less because the body is still primed from the previous session. When there are multiple training sessions, individual preference and current status of the athlete dictates on how much warm-up is required. There is no downside to a longer warm-up, but sometimes a second session can be abbreviated.

Early Morning vs Evening Workouts

Early morning sessions require more warm-up and activation than an evening session, because the body has been active for most of the day (even after a nap). The warm-up should be designed so that the athlete is ready to perform at their best on the first interval of a session. Spending time thinking about the quality of the warm-up is important to ensure athletes get the most out of their training and for injury prevention.

Melanie Mcquaid is a three-time XTERRA and two-time ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion, professional triathlete, and coach at Melrad Multisport; melrad.com.