Warming- up before Weight Training: Perceptions and Practices among Young Adults in Ederamulla Urban Council Area, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: There is a trend nowadays among youth, to participate in gymnasium sessions for exercise and weight training. Prior to weight training sessions, body warming-up is being practiced to prepare the body for a proper training session, as to minimize injuries. Objective: To study the perceptions and practices on warm-up exercise regimes prior to weight training among young adults Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done using a self-administered questionnaire with a sample of 122 young adults of both genders within the age range of 16- 36. Convenient sampling technique was used to select the participants from weight training centers in Ederamulla Urban Council area. Data were descriptively analyzed using SPSS software and presented using graphs and tables. Results: The highest percentage of participants were observed at the age of 20 (13.6%) whereas only a few were below 19 or above 31 (0.8%). According to the results, 80.2% represent males and 19.8% are females; which is an average ratio of 4:1 (male: female). The results portray that, out of the total number of participants (n = 110) who engage in weight training, 90.9% follows a warm-up routine prior to weight training, with the commonest exercise type being stretching (53.3%) and 68.9% do follow full body workouts while 30.3% do follow split warm up workouts. Only 42.9% of participants do engage in warmup exercises for 5–15 minutes duration. Nearly half of the participants (48.3%) perceived that warming up would minimize the risk of getting injured while 28.3% of the participants think that it would help in increasing the flexibility of muscles while strengthening. Conclusions: As the perception towards warm-up exercise is positive since most of the participants perceive that a warm up is really important to minimize the risk of getting musculoskeletal injuries.