Warm-up and Stretch

Warm-up and Stretch - always!

Every session of SulKiDo begins with a period of warm-up exercises and stretching.

Warm-up exercises increase the metabolic rate and give the body `notice' that more energy is required so that various enzymes and hormones can be released. This process reduces the feeling of fatigue and allows higher performance levels, while the elevated body temperature protects against strains and injuries. Increasing flexibility by stretching is a fundamental part of SulKiDo - it makes training easier and also reduces the chances of injuries in normal life.

Since it's dangerous either to stretch while `cold' or to exercise vigorously before stretching, we intersperse the exercise and stretching phases, gradually increasing the intensity or both in parallel.

We've put together a demonstration page showing how to stretch effectively and safely, illustrating some of the techniques we recommend at O.U. SulKiDo.