Warming up your body promotes performance, helps prevent injuries, as well as gets your body ready for your upcoming activity. Well, duh! But what happens in your body when you warm up?

When you warm up your body, you are increasing your body temperature and metabolism. You are also increasing your blood circulation. Breathing increases so that oxygen is more available to the increased muscle activity. Your nerve impulses also move quicker in a warm muscle than in a "cold" muscle.

A good warm up will consist of exercises and stretches followed by practicing movements, steps, and combinations that get more vigorous as you progress, thus, causing perspiration. (Don't forget the deoderant!)

Wearing "cover ups" may aid you to warm up faster, but are not a replacement for the warm up itself. They are only a superficial aid that cannot replace the heat that your body generates for itself. Pulling a muscle could happen if you do not prepare it by warming and stretching it carefully.

Stretching carefully is very important. Bouncing, or bobbing can be dangerous. This is called "ballistic" stretching. This can pull a muscle by tearing the fibers apart that are inside your muscle. A controlled stretch is a much better approach. That way, you can avoid overstretching the muscle or causing an injury.

Warming up your body before your rehearsals is very important. Not only do you work on your technique, but you strengthen muscles, and protect your body from injury. It is very important not to skip your warm up.