Does Walking To The Gym Count As A Warmup?
An advantage that New Yorkers have in staying fit is that you can walk most places in the city, and for those who go to a gym, that walk could be part of a warm-up. But it's not as simple as just walking a few blocks. Whether or not your walk to the gym counts as a warm-up depends on several factors, so don't assume you can skip that initial movement yet once you get into the weight room.
How Long Is the Walk?
A warm-up needs to get you and your muscles warm. A walk that's maybe two blocks is not going to really help you unless your workout that day is slow walking around a level track. However, if you walk for over a mile, for example, to get to the gym, that walk could possibly count as a warm-up, depending on other factors at play.
What Are You Doing That Day?
One of those other factors is what you're planning to do that day at the gym. A mile-long walk works as a warm-up for a session of walking or jogging. It doesn't work that well for a session of deadlifting. Certainly, the walk can count as part of a warm-up, but your trainer should still have you do additional warm-up moves before having you lift weights, use a rowing machine, or do other strenuous exercises.
How Fast Is the Walk?
Another factor is how fast the walking pace is. If you walk a mile at a brisk pace, that's a pretty good start to the workout day. If you meander for a few blocks and take your time, that's likely not going to make the walk count as a warm-up at all. If you arrive at the gym fresh and clean, you probably didn't walk fast enough to warm your muscles up in the slightest.
How Much Time Passes Between Your Arrival and Your Workout?
One more factor is how much time passes between that walk and the beginning of your workout. You could have a two-mile fast walk to the gym, but if you take half an hour to change and talk to friends there before starting your workout, you can kiss any warm-up benefits from that walk goodbye. Even a few minutes can cool you down considerably.
If you want to include your walk to the gym in your warm-up, talk to your trainer. You both need to figure out distance, time, and pace before adding it to a workout or dismissing the walk totally. Your trainer can help you devise a path to the gym that will give you a better start to your workout day.
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