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.



Debunking the Myth of Spot Reduction

Do you ever wonder how to shrink the fat on... Read More

Weight Loss and Fitness - Facts not Fiction

The world of weight loss and fitness is certainly vast,... Read More

Sweating Vacation

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

How to Choose a Good Jogging Stroller

If you lead an active lifestyle and you want to... Read More

Exercise Tips: Move Your Body - Boost Your Productivity

Do you find yourself setting a New Year's Resolution (every... Read More

Banish Your Lower Back Pain Permanently Without Drugs or Surgery

It is estimated that about 80 percent of the population... Read More

Six Simple Strategies to Turn Your Walks into Workouts

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

The Benefit of Back Exercises

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

Strength Training After Fifty

Strength training after fifty is no longer for those people... Read More

Best Flat Tummy Exercises for Great Female Abs

Are there flat tummy exercises that are the best for... Read More

How To Get Started With Exercise: The Magic Pill Of Your Weight Loss Program

In a previous article, I mentioned the weight loss mantra... Read More

When Exercising Right Looks Wrong

For most of us we live in a black and... Read More

6 Things A Norwegian Fable Teaches Us About Healthy Perseverance Part 2

4. Ideas, goals and dreams have a shelf life. The... Read More

Exercise Motivation: 7 Sure-fire Tips

So you've begun an exercise program to get in shape... Read More

The Amazing Health Benefits of Walking for Exercise

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

Thirty Minutes of Exercise a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

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

Exercising - Ways of staying motivated!

The number one reason people say they do not exercise... Read More

Home Gyms with Free Weights

Having your own home gym with free weights is not... Read More

Overcoming Resistance to Exercise

Are You Destined to Sit on the Couch?If someone mentions... Read More

After Exercise Headache - More Serious Than You Think?

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

Exercise Equals Fun!

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

Forget Exercise - Go Play

Can't seem to get the energy or motivation to exercise?... Read More

Programming Brief: Exercise Order

One of the fundamental principles of exercise prescription, specifically resistance... Read More

Exercise Nutrition: How To Keep That Energy Up!

How many times has this happened to you?>> You psych... Read More

Should You Train Before Bedtime?

A Japanese study found that if you exercise at night... Read More

If you'd like to keep up-to-date,
please complete the form below and we'll put you on the mailing list
to receive our twice-yearly newsletter for supporters

* Your email address:
* choes your language:
 

العاب منتديات هيدى الزاوية الحمراء

Pharaohs products    egypt products    Egypt shopping   Shopping in Egypt   sho  Egypt Bazaar Pharaohs Shoping Center   Egypt  Pharaohs