WARM-UP AND COOL-DOWN…DO I REALLY NEED THESE?

I often stress to my client’s the importance of arriving early to class and the importance of joining in the cool-down exercises. Warm-up and cool-down exercises are essential to any fitness program. The warm-up, which is performed at the beginning of the workout, prepares the body and mind for exercise. It also helps to prevent injury. The time duration for a warm-up routine depends on the entire duration of the program. For a one hour aerobic session, 15 minutes warm-up is usually advised.

Purpose of the warm-up includes:

It helps increase the body temperature, making the muscles more flexible and receptive to strenuous activity
It gets blood flowing to the muscles
Lubricates the joints
Prepares the muscles and joints for more intense activity
A warm-up should increase the heart rate slightly, but not to the level experienced during the workout.

The cool-down period is at the end of the workout. Every exercise session should be followed by a cool-down that gradually decreases the heart rate and stretches all the muscles worked in the exercise session.

Purpose of the cool-down includes:

It gradually decreases the heart rate
Gradually decreased the body temperature
Prevents a sudden stop and prevents blood pooling. If your body stops suddenly after an intense workout, this may cause your blood to pool, causing dizziness, nausea or cramping.
It stretches the muscles for flexibility as well as to prevent cramping or future injury.

Now you know the importance of the warm-up and cool-down sessions. Have fun exercising at your next class!

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