Everyone knows you “should” warm up before a workout.

However,skipping warm-upsis pretty common given busy schedules and the perception that warm-ups are optional.

You might wonder, is itreallythat big of a deal to skip warm-ups?

woman dealing with leg injury, pain from not warming up before workouts

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The answer is a definite yes.

If you’re unsure of the top dangers of not warming up before workouts, listen up.

Skipping warm-ups is a bad idea for several reasons, all by backed scientific research.

close-up man holding knee, injury on tennis court

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Earlier researchhas come to similar conclusions.

With that in mind, skipping warm-ups increases your risk of injury.

Reduced Performance

Warming up isn’t just about avoiding injury.

woman sore neck after working out

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In fact, warming up before your workout or activity plays a direct role in increasing your performance.

Given the substantial interest in maximizing athletic performance, scientists have certainly looked into the matter.

Morerecent researchhas come to similar conclusions.

As such, skipping your warmup effectively reduces your performance.

However, there is no harm in reducing soreness and the corresponding discomfort using side-effect-free methods.

This includes warming up.

Personally, I’ll do anything I can when it comes to being less sore after workouts.

you might use the following warm-up protocol before most workouts.

Do this prior to beginning the main exercises.

Keep the weight very light; this warm-up should not deplete your muscles before the workout.