5 Little Known Benefits of Warming Up & Cooling Down After Exercising

While working out in the gym, I have noticed that many exercisers tend to skip two very important parts of their workout. It is crucial that exercisers starts with a warm-up and ends with a cool-down. As a fitness educator, I educate my clients of why they should include warm-ups and cool-downs in their workouts.

Warm up before vigorous exercise is crucial. Warm-up prepares the heart muscle and circulatory system. When you start physical activity, blood flow is not immediately available to the heart and muscles. A proper warm-up decreases the risk of irregular heartbeats associated with poor coronary circulation. A proper warm-up also improve performance, since it minimizes the premature formation of lactic acid at the start of physical activity. In addition, warming up raises the temperature of the body. For each degree of temperature elevation, the metabolic rate of the cells increases by about 13 percent.

Another reason is warming up helps prevents injuries. Muscle elasticity and the flexibility of the tendons and ligaments are increased. Synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints, is released during easy activity. In general, warm up prepares the body for the increased demand of intense exercise.

Warm-ups activities are movement activities. Stretching is not a warm-up exercise because it does not raise the body temperature. In fact, an exerciser can tear cold muscles by stretching them.

General warm-up involves calisthenics, stretching, and general body movements such as slow jog followed by a light streth.Warm up for about 5-10 minutes depending on the person's fitness level followed by some light stretching.

Specific warm-up, on the other hand, provides a skill rehearsal for the actual activity. Swinging a golf club, throwing a baseball or football are examples of specific warm-up.

I have been working out in a health club setting for almost 10 years. In my experience, I hardly seen anyone do a cool-down activity. Cool down is also as important as a warm-up. After a heavy work-out, it is important to spend 5-10 minutes in a cool down stage. A cool down after the workout is important to promote an effective recovery from physical activity. Some of the benefits of a cool down are listed below:

1. The opposite of a warm-up. Respiration, body temperature,and heart rate are gradually returned to normal, preventing an irregular beat the may be life threatening.

2. During the cool-down stage, the legs help return the blood to your heart. Muscle in the legs acts as a pump to bring blood back to the heart. Suddenly stopping cardiovascular activity causes blood to pool in the legs instead of circulating to the brain. Not enough supply of blood in the brain can cause dizziness or light-headedness.

4. Cool-down can help increase a person's flexibility.

5. Active cool-down also speeds lactate removal from the blood.

There are two parts of a cool-down. First, a person does a light cardiovascular activity such as walking to lower the heart rate, body temperature, etc. Then, static stretching should be followed. Exercisers should stretch all the major muscle groups for at least 10-30 seconds. The stretch should feel a slight discomfort but not feel pain. Stretching at the end of the cool-down can help increase flexibility without causing injury.

Add a warm-up and cool-down to your current exercise regimen and see the difference.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

---

Core-Principles: The Function of Functional Training

Okay?okay?okay! Enough already!!! It seems like with every new term,... Read More

Want To Get In Shape? Watch Another Infomercial!

You know I have always wondered how people of yesteryear,... Read More

Your Guide To Exercise

Even light exercise is good for you, so don't get... Read More

Exercise and Losing Weight for Life ? Avoid the #1 Mistake Everyone Makes!

Do you ever feel like you are working out so... Read More

Top 10 Tips For Finding Time For Exercise

If you're like most people, finding time for exercise... Read More

VO2 Max- Exposing the Myth

VO2 max is defined as the maximal amount of oxygen... Read More

The Right Exercise Intensity

We've all heard the exercise guidelines that recommend we participate... Read More

What is the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?

It is a common misconception that aerobic exercise tones/firms muscles.... Read More

How to Find a Gym and Start Exercising

There is hardly a week that passes without an article... Read More

Are You A One-Dimensional Trainer?

Most people are classically biased toward one of the three... Read More

The Amazing Health Benefits of Walking for Exercise

Walking for exercise is a purposeful, brisk walk specifically designed... Read More

Exercise Equals Fun!

Getting America's children to exercise has never been more difficult... Read More

Sweating Vacation

It seems like everyone is concerned about putting on the... Read More

2 Exercises to Avoid

If you want a good night, then avoid two of... Read More

Easy and Effective Home Workouts

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is... Read More

Current Recommendations are 30-60 Minutes of Exercise, Everyday?

This is the latest advice to the public and many... Read More

Salsa Dancing for Fitness is Hot

Salsa dancing is emerging as a refreshing replacement for conventional... Read More

Thirty Minutes of Exercise a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

"Exercise is good for you!" If you had a dollar... Read More

Life Walking: Dont Walk Just For Exercise - Change Your Life

"Life walking" is more than walking for exercise and fitness... Read More

The Degradation of Fitness Science

The world and our selves evolve and exist in a... Read More

Top 10 Exercise Mistakes and How To Fix Them

This is a list of ten common mistakes made during... Read More

5 Little Known Benefits of Warming Up & Cooling Down After Exercising

While working out in the gym, I have noticed that... Read More

Debunking Common Exercise Myths, Part 1

Myth #1: Heavy weights make you "bulky"Heavy weights typically do... Read More

Rotator Cuff: Exercises and Strategies to Prevent Injury

Have you ever experienced a dull ache or sharp pain... Read More

Six Simple Strategies to Turn Your Walks into Workouts

If You are already fitness walking several times a week... Read More

Weight Loss and Exercise in Tough Environmental Conditions

Working out is working out, right?Wrong.Depending on the environmental conditions... Read More

People Walking: How Some People Enjoy Their Exercise Walking

People walking regularly for exercise often walk for more than... Read More

Sets And Reps - The High And Low Weight Workout

Big weights! Wicked pump! I always get caught between two... Read More

After Exercise Headache - More Serious Than You Think?

It's surprisingly common - you're exercising, everything's fine, and then... Read More

Get Fit From Home-Part 2

Using The StairsNot everybody has stairs in their home, but... Read More

Recognize Your Motivation to Exercise

The positive effects of exercise have been documented and reported... Read More

The Benefit of Back Exercises

Back exercises are often prescribed effectively as an alternative to... Read More

Get Moving...The Benefits Will Last a Lifetime!

The benefits of physical activity are numerous and very well... Read More