Warm Up and Cool Down
By warming up you are preparing the body for exercise and will minimise injury. By cooling down you are improving the speed of the body’s recovery process. Both are part of a sensible training session and should never be missed out.
The Warm Up: The warm up should be aimed at reducing muscle stiffness.
Warming up should at least consist of the following:
- 5 – 10 minutes physical exercise. E.g. light jogging, running, skipping – to increase body temperature.
- Ensure all the joints are fully warmed up and ready to stretch.
- 5 – 10 minutes dynamic stretching exercises – to reduce muscle stiffness
Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. E.g. leg raises. Static stretching exercises do not reduce muscle stiffness. Why Warm Up?
- To get the body ready for exercise and ensure you can train at your full potential.
- To minimalise injuries.
- To reduce muscle stiffness.
The Cool Down: Cooling down should consist of the following:
- 5 to 10 minutes jogging/walking – to decrease the body temperature and reduce the buildup of lactic acid in the working muscles
- 5 to 10 minutes static stretching exercises
Static stretches are more effective in the cool down as they help muscles to relax, realign muscle fibres and helps re-establish their normal range of movement. These stretches should be held for 10 seconds.
Why cool down?
- Aid in the breakdown of waste products including lactic acid.
- Reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting.
- Lessen the level of adrenaline in the blood
- Lets your heart rate return to its resting rate