How To Warm Up Before the class?
Most athletes perform some type of regular warm-up and cool down during training and racing. A proper warm up can increase the blood flow to the working muscle which results in decreased muscle stiffness, less risk of injury and improved performance. Additional benefits of warming up include physiological and psychological preparation.
Typical Warm up exercises include:
Which to choose?
The best time to stretch a muscle is after it has an increased blood flow and has increased temperature to avoid injury. Stretching a cold muscle can increase the risk of injury from pulls and tears. So you are better off doing gradual aerobic exercise before stretching. Keep in mind that the best time to stretch is after exercise because your muscles are warm and pliable with the increase of blood in them. Make sure your warm up begins gradually, and uses the muscles that will be stressed during exercise.
Keep in mind!!
The perfect warm up is a very individual process that can only come with practice, experimentation and experience. Try warming up in various way and at various intensities until you find what works best for you.