A Quick Warm-up Routine

Image courtesy of www.suryanamaskar.com

When time is limited, it is tempting to give the warm-up a skip to be able to fit the workout in there. However, we all know how important it is to get the blood flowing and the heart pumping a little faster before getting into any kind of strenuous exercise. 

So here is a little routine from a discipline that complements martial arts training wonderfully: yoga. The Surya Namaskar (or 'Sun Salute' in English) provides a quick full body warm-up. It is a set of 12 poses that stretch the major muscles, increase heart rate, and generate heat throughout the body. Three rounds of Surya Namaskar take no longer than five minutes to complete. Each round is one set of the 12 poses done starting with the right leg, and repeated starting with the left leg. 

The image below shows the entire routine, explained with the proper breathing instructions. 





Details of the many health benefits of Surya Namaskar are available on www.suryanamaskar.com. As far as this article goes, the intention is to introduce the martial artist to a quick and effective warm-up before physical exercise.

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