“If you do not have enough time to warm up correctly, you do not have enough
time to train.” – Author Unknown
It’s time for the rehearsal to
begin, and there is only a short amount of time so it may be tempting to skip
the warm-up and just jump right in. What
happens during the warm-up that makes it so important anyway?
We are given one body and our job,
as dancers, is to make certain that we care for our bodies and insure that they
are working at an optimal level. A
warm-up not only prepares us mentally by focusing our thoughts, it also leads
our body through steps to prepare for the demands we place upon it.
When we first begin to move, our bodies
are able to create energy immediately by using the phosphate that has been
stored within our muscles as a substance called ATP. ATP stands for adenosine tri-phosphate which
is a substance made up of three phosphate molecules. When the molecules are separated, energy is
released. Although this energy is readily available it can only last for 8-10
seconds. After those ten seconds, the
muscles must use the glucose, or sugar, that is available to create energy for
the next few minutes of exercise. Our
muscles are able to create energy for this brief period of time without having
to rely on oxygen.
As this energy is created and the
warm-up continues, the autonomic nervous system receives a signal to stimulate
the nerves around the heart. The heart
receives a signal to contract, or beat, faster and stronger. The stronger the heart’s contraction, the
stronger the release, resulting in more space in the heart for a greater volume
of blood. This greater volume of blood
means that, when the heart contracts, more oxygen and nutrient filled blood is
pumped out and circulated through the body with each heartbeat.
At the same time, the nerves that
control the blood vessels are activated and signal the vessels to constrict, or
get smaller, meaning there is less blood flow to all parts of the body. Concurrently, the energy creation, or
metabolism, that is occurring within the muscles overrides this signal, and the
blood vessels in the muscles get wider, or dilate, which results in greater
blood flow to the muscles. Therefore,
blood flow is diverted away from the organs so that the working parts, the
muscles, may receive an optimal amount of nutrients and oxygen.
As all of this is occurring in the
circulatory system, the brain stem, which controls our breathing, is receiving
signals to stimulate and increase the activity of the respiratory system. As a result, our breathing speeds up to
supply more oxygen to the blood, which is being rapidly delivered to the
muscles.
This oxygen is used for the next
step in creating energy as the warm-up ends and more rigorous physical activity
begins. This process is called aerobic
glycolysis and allows the body to continue to breakdown stored glucose to create
energy for a sustained period of time.
As a result of all this activity,
the temperature of the muscles increases, leading to increased flexibility. Additionally, the heat that is generated during
the warm-up serves to liquefy the synovial fluid that is in our joints. While we are resting, the fluid becomes
jelly-like, but as heat is generated, the jelly breaks down into a liquid that
is able to lubricate our joints and keep them “well-oiled” and moving
smoothly.
Our bodies are amazing machines that
are equipped to do so many things.
However, much like a computer, the human body is wired to complete tasks
in a series of steps. In order to be
able to provide the optimum physical performance required for a class or a
rehearsal, the body needs to be able to sequentially go through the above
steps. We, as dancers, demand so much
from our bodies. Our bodies will
definitely respond, but we need to make sure we are going to let them.
This post originally appeared on Access Dance for Life's blog - a blog that promotes health and wellness within the dance community - this past January.
