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Study with other students and unlock Numerade solutions for free. Try Now45 Winter Date Ideas to Heat Things Up This Season From EVs to Gummies, Boomers Are Embracing These 5 Trends in 2023 Your Weekly Horoscopes: December 4 to 10, 2022 Shimmy Is a Workout Advent Calendar App (Yes, Those Exist) That’s Fun, Free & Philanthropic Your Monthly Horoscopes: December 2022 Open Casting, Infla-Dating & 3 More Dating Trends That Are About to be Everywhere in 2023 Are you looking to start an exercise program to get back into shape and live a healthier lifestyle? An exercise routine may feel time consuming — but no matter what type of workout you choose, or how busy your schedule is, it’s critical that you don’t skip warming up before your workout, or cooling down afterwards. You’d be surprised how many people decide they don’t need to warm up before working their core, or that it’s fine to skip their cool-down after jogging on the treadmill. In most cases, it’s not because people hate doing the warm up or cool-down, but because they want to save time. After all, it is just the main part of the workout that counts, right? Unfortunately, it’s not just the main part of your workout that matters — and the people who skip the processes before and after a workout may be doing more harm to their bodies than they realize. Why Warming Up and Cooling Down Is So ImportantA warm-up and a cool-down both involve doing exercises at a lower intensity and slower pace, which improves your athletic performance, prevents injuries, and helps with recovery from exercise. Warm up activities include light jogging, or cycling slowly on a bike. Warming up before exercise prepares your cardiovascular system for physical activity, by increasing the blood flow to your muscles, and raising the temperature of your body. It also helps to lower the risk of getting injured — when your muscles are adequately warmed up, the movements, stretches, and strain you put on them during your workout is less severe. This also minimizes muscle soreness. Cooling down after your workout aims to gradually bring your heart rate and blood pressure to its normal level — the level it was at prior to exercising. During your workout, your heart rate has been pumping much higher than it does normally, and it’s important to ease it back down instead of abruptly stopping all motion. Cooling down also helps to regulate your blood flow, which is especially important for people who undertake endurance sports such as long distance running. To safely cool down, gradually reduce the pace of your exercise during the last 10 minutes of your session — for example, if you’re jogging, reduce your pace to a brisk walk for the last 10 minutes. Benefits of Warming Up
Benefits of Cooling Down
What Happens If You Don’t Properly Warm Up and Cool Down?Increased Risk Of InjuryOver 30% of injuries seen by sports medicine clinics are skeletal muscle injuries — which can be easily prevented by warming up and stretching. Blood PoolingIf you stop exercising abruptly without cooling down, your muscles will suddenly stop contracting vigorously. This can cause blood to pool in the lower extremities of your body, leaving your blood without as much pressure to be pumped back to the heart and brain. As a result, you may dizzy and lightheaded, and you may even faint. Increased Stress On Cardiovascular SystemWarming up helps you to gradually increase your heart rate and breathing to a level that will be able to meet the demands of your workout. If you start exercising at a strenuous level without warming up first, you will place unnecessary stress on your heart and lungs. A study was performed on 44 men to examine the effects of high intensity exercise on the heart. The subjects had to perform 10 to 15 seconds of intense exercise on a treadmill, without a warm-up. The results showed that 70% of subjects had abnormal ECG readings because of the inadequate oxygen supplied to the heart — in essence, their hearts weren’t ready to perform at the high rates required for the intense exercises. The next time you feel like you can’t spare the extra 10 minutes to cool down after running, think carefully about the effect it will have on your body. Those 10 minutes certainly seem worth it when you consider that you’re helping prevent injuries to your body, improve your performance, and aid your post-workout recovery. Share on Pinterest You can do cooldown exercises at the end of your workout to ease yourself out of strenuous activity. Cooldown exercises and stretches lower your chance of injury, promote blood flow, and reduce stress to your heart and other muscles. Plus, you’ll bring your heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure levels back down to their normal levels before you continue carrying on with your usual activities. Dedicate at least 10 minutes of your workout to cooling down. Read on to learn some of the best ways to do so. From here, you can choose the exercises that appeal to you the most and put them together to create your workout recovery and relaxation routine. Do these exercises at a slower speed and lower intensity than your normal workout. Breathe deeply while cooling down to deliver oxygen to your muscles, release tension, and promote relaxation. 1. Light jogging or walkingThis is one of the most straightforward ways to cool down. Do 3 to 5 minutes of light jogging followed by 3 to 5 minutes of brisk or easy walking. 2. Upper body stretch
3. Seated Forward BendShare on Pinterest
4. Knee-to-Chest PoseShare on Pinterest
5. Reclining Butterfly Pose
6. Child’s PoseShare on Pinterest
If your hands are unable to reach the floor, you can modify this stretch. Place hands on a block or sturdy object instead of the floor. You’ll still reap the same benefits. 11. Shoulder stretch
12. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
13. Corpse Pose
Cooldown exercises start the recovery process, increase flexibility, and promote relaxation.
All of these benefits work to improve your body’s overall function and flexibility, allowing you to feel better, perform at a higher level, and have less chance for injury. Consider seeking out a personal trainer if you want assistance with modifications or to take your workouts to the next level. An exercise professional can help you to develop a specific cooldown routine based on your needs. They may adjust the type of workout you do according to any injuries, areas of concern, or goals you have in mind. A professional can make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly and provide valuable feedback so that you’re staying safe while maximizing your workout potential. Set yourself up for success by setting time aside to gradually cool down after you exercise. This gives your body a chance to recover, regulates your bodily systems, and helps to ease you back into the normal pace of your daily life. Allow yourself enough energy to complete your cool down without pushing yourself beyond your limits. Go only to your edge and never bounce or force your way into any position. On days when you’re not feeling especially active or energetic, you can swap out part of your workout and focus on more of these cooling, relaxing exercises to benefit your mind and body. Last medically reviewed on December 17, 2019 |