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It is strongly advised that anyone wanting to participate in exercise should do a Warm Up before every session and a Cool Down after each session to help prevent injury, increase comfort after the workout and generally get the most out of your work out sessions. The Warm Up A warm up usually takes the form of some gentle exercise that gradually increases in intensity. When you begin an exercise session your body need to make a number of adjustments. The benefits of warming up include:
A good indiction that you are warming up correctly and effectively is if you have raised a light sweat. This shows you have increased your heart rate, your breathing, and the temperature of your muscles. If you are exercising for general fitness your warm up needs to be on average about ten minutes long, or slightly longer in cold weather. If you are exercising at a higher level, for example if you have a particular sporting goal in mind you may need a longer warm up, and one that is specifically designed for your sport. You may find the following tips useful: Skip gently for 1-5 minutes: Skipping is a great way to warm up because it uses many different muscle groups. Go for a gentle walk or jog: Gentle walking or jogging are great ways to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for further, more rigorous exercise. To help you stay motivated, try jogging or walking with friends. Trampolining: Great for of exercise and alot of fun too. Do some gentle muscle stretches: Once your muscles are warmed up after your general warm up, try doing some gentle stretches such as lunges and calf stretches. These can be very useful, particularly if your are going to do a high speed or high intensity work out. Static Stretches: Considered the safest method of stretching. Gently stretch a muscle and hold. You should hold stretches for at least 30 seconds and gradually progress longer. The Cool Down As a guide, allow 10 minutes of post-exercise stretching for every one hour of exercise. Make these post-exercise stretches more thorough than your pre-exercise stretches. Ensure that you stretch all the major muscle groups that you have used during your exercise. Stretch each muscle group for 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times. Doing a cool down will:
The cool down should be on average 15 minutes, 5-10 minutes performing low intensity exercise, followed by 5-10 minutes of a stretching routine. You may find the following tips useful: On the Spot: Walk or jog on the spot, or simply shake all your limbs for a few minutes. Low Intensity: Perform very low intensity versions of the work out you were doing before for at least 5-10 minutes. Stretches: A series of stretches after the initial cool down may help to loosen the muscles that may have stiffened with fatigue, an accelerated version of the post warm up stretch may be enough. Signs of a good and efficient cool down will be:
While it may seem at first that the additional time spent on warming up and cooling down is without reward, it is clear to the dedicated what a difference it can make. These activities are a vital component of your exercise sessions, and can make all the difference in how you feel during and in-between. |
