Cool Down to Complete Your Workout
Lower Heartrate, Reduce Fatigue and Prevent Injuries
Apr 25, 2007
Once you have completed your workout, a cool down is as important to your well being as any other component. An effective cool down can help reduce fatigue, alleviate muscle soreness and, like a warm up, prevent injuries.
Why cool down?
As you exercise, the heart rate increases, muscles build up tension, and waste products, such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide, are produced.
When you stop a strenuous exercise the heart takes a while to adjust to your new pace: it is still pumping blood fast and hard to the extremities. Moving the arms and legs helps return blood to the heart. This, in turn, keeps the blood circulating to the take excess carbon dioxide and other waste products out of the muscles. Removing waste such as lactic acid is important to reduce muscle soreness.
Also, if you suddenly stop moving, the blood being sent to the heart doesn’t get returned as quickly and tends to collect in the extremities. As a result, the rest of the body is left with less blood to work with. This is referred to as "blood pooling" and can result in light headedness or even fainting.
Stretching after exercise can help cut down muscle soreness and increase flexibility. Gently stretching worked muscles back to their normal length can reduce the pull on the tendons that attach them to bones, reducing the risk of joint injuries.
What to include in a cool down
- Three to five minutes of low intensity movement such as walking or stepping side to side.
- Stretches: Cool down stretches should be slow and controlled. Focus on the muscles that were worked, as well as problem areas such as the back and hips. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
- Relaxation: Think. Breathe. Focus on how you feel. Enjoy the feeling of having worked hard.
- Rehydrate: Drinking water is important to help maintain hydration and clear waste. It is just as important to drink water after the workout as it is during the workout.
If you don’t have time to cool down
A cool down can take anywhere from five to 20 minutes, depending on your needs and your fitness level. If you don’t have the five minutes to spare for a minimum cool down, try these tips:
- Walk to your next appointment, make your steps large to stretch the leg muscles and try to keep the heel on the ground a little longer to get a bit of a calf stretch in.
- Take the stairs back up to the office and do a calf stretch on the last few steps: Holding onto the hand rail and standing on both legs, slide your foot back so that the heel hangs off the step. Lower the heel below the step, keeping the toes on the step, until you feel a stretch in the calf. Hold for 20 or 30 seconds.
- DO NOT put high heels or dress shoes on for at least 15 minutes after your workout, tight stiff muscles do not need extra tightening!
- If you can, take time at your desk to do a low back and hamstring stretch: In a seated position, wrap your arms around your thighs and hug the chest to the legs. Keep the hug and extend the legs out with your heels on the floor, toes pointing up. Reach the hands toward the feet and allow the hips to roll forward until you feel a gentle pull in the hamstrings. Hold stretch for 20 or 30 seconds. This can easily be disguised as a hunt for a dropped pencil.
- Stretch worked muscles later in the day, perhaps while watching T.V. or before you go to bed do an easy yoga workout.
Am I cool yet?
Your cool down has been effective if:
- Your heart rate and breathing have returned to normal or slightly above normal.
- Body temperature has come down.
- Body feels relaxed and refreshed.
Note: It is important for most parents to accept that, in their children’s eyes, they will never be cool.
