Sometimes we forget two very important aspects of working out. That is remembering to warm-up and cool-down. Before we start an aerobic exercise our muscles are cold and tight, meaning they are not totally prepared for a workout. Doing a warm-up helps prepare your body for your workout and decreases the risk of a muscle strain. A cool-down helps you bring your heart rate down and allows you to transition back into your daily routine.
Your warm-up can be a less intense version of what your aerobic activity is. For example, if you are going to go for a three mile run, warm-up by power walking for ten minutes. Sometimes I just want to jump into a run, without warming up. However I have learned from experience that if I ease into a run with some power-walking I feel much better while doing my run. Warming up gives me a chance to get situated and prepares my body to workout. If you are going to play a sport, warm-up by doing a slow jog and some exercises specific to your sport. For example if you are going to play basketball you could jog the length of the court a few times and do some lay-ups to prepare your body.
When you are ready to end your workout, slow down your pace and decrease your intensity. This will help you transition your body back gradually instead of suddenly. You can also stretch your major muscle groups that you used during your workout. I enjoy the cool-down process because it helps me ease out of a fast-paced workout. For example, a cool-down for me after I run the trail by my house is walking the four blocks from the trail back home. When I get home I sit down and do some floor stretches to finish off my workout.
It can be a challenge to get into a routine of doing a warm-up and cool-down. However, the more you do it, the easier it will become. In time it will simply become part of your routine and you don’t even have to think twice about it.
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