Warming Up and Cooling Down

With the hectic pace of life these days, most people find it hard enough to squeeze in regular exercise, let alone time for warming up and cooling down. But these are crucial components of any fitness regimen. Both help reduce the risk of injury.

What does a warmup do?

A warmup allows for a period of adjustment, gradually increasing heart rate, boosting muscle temperature, improving blood flow, redistributing blood to active muscles, and enhancing the delivery of nutrients to cells. It should last at least five to 10 minutes to prepare the body for what’s to come. It also provides a psychological cue, preparing the brain for higher intensity levels. Consequently, a warmup enhances performance.

How do I warm up?

A warmup should be sport specific, meaning that the gestures involved mimic the activity you’re about to do but at a lower intensity and slower speed. For instance, before running you’d do a walk or light jog; prior to hiking or skiing you’d include squats and other leg exercises; a round of racquet sports would call for upper- and lower-body movements as well as core work.

What does a cool-down do?

A cool-down prevents post-exercise venous blood pooling and an excessively fast drop in blood pressure, which combined helps reduce the chance of light-headedness or fainting. Plus it helps bring down the heart rate slowly, minimizing the chance of muscle spasms or cramping. A cool-down should last at least five minutes.

How do I cool down?

Cooling down is similar to warming up in that you can do the same movements outlined in the warmup above but at a slower pace and lower intensity. You might walk or jog, march on the spot or do the “grapevine” (essentially two steps side to side, bringing one leg behind the other). If you’re biking or swimming, you can continue those activities at an easier tempo.

When should I stretch?

Controversy exists over the best time to stretch during a workout. Research is still mixed when it comes to the beneficial effects of stretching during the warmup phase. Some studies suggest that pre-exercise stretching can yield diminished physical performance; others show that stretching right after the warmup can cause a detrimental drop in heart rate.

The Australian government’s guidelines on physical activity recommend stretching before and after an exercise session to warm up and cool down muscles. Static stretching, which involves reaching forwards to a point of tension and holding for about 30 seconds to elongate muscle, facilitates post-workout recovery, enhances muscle relaxation and helps remove waste products such as lactic acid.

Potential pitfalls

Whether you’re skiing, doing Pilates or swimming, you can injure any muscle by not doing a proper warmup and cool-down. Some common injuries resulting from not warming up or cooling down properly are:

• sprains: the stretching or tearing of ligaments that hold bones together; elbow, knee, and ankle sprains are common
• strains: also called a “pulled muscle”, a strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon
• swollen muscles

Warming up

Keeping in mind that warmups should include sport-specific motions, here are a few all-purpose exercises to at least get you started. Go at a slower pace than you would in the active workout phase, and don’t forget to use strong, purposeful movements with your arms. Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.

Cooling down

 While stretching, remember to breathe deeply; keep the shoulders relaxed and the knees ever so slightly bent. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.