How to Warm Up and Cool Down Well

Warming up and cooling down are two vital, but often neglected, components of any exercise program. The warm-up prepares your muscles and other soft tissue, as well as your skeletal system, for the rigorous exercise to follow. 

In this article, we’ll lay out how to warm up and cool down effectively. 

Importance of Warming Up & Cooling Down

A good warm-up will gradually increase your heart rate to the level that it will be working at. It will also move your muscles and soft tissue through their full range of motion. This greatly reduces the chance of strains or sprains that are high when you exercise a cold muscle.

The warm-up will also increase the blood flow to your muscles so that they are better supplied with oxygen and nutrients during the training.

Taking the time to cool down after the workout, allows your body’s internal engine to gradually come back to its pre-exercise state. This will help to prevent headaches, faintness, nausea, and other negative reactions that may occur when you go directly from an active to an inactive state. 

How to Warm Up

There should be two parts to your warm-up:

• Cardio

• Dynamic Stretching

The cardio part of your warm-up should last for 5-10 minutes. The goal is to gradually increase your internal body temperature to working level and to bring your heart rate into the training zone.

If you are working out without any equipment, the easiest way to perform your cardio warm-up is to jog on the spot. Begin with 60 seconds of slow jogging, then switch between 30-second bouts of high knees and butt kicks for another two minutes, Finish with another 60 seconds of slow jogging. 
If you have equipment available, you can do your warm up on a treadmill, rowing machine, stair stepper, or elliptical. 

Your dynamic stretching routine should involve performing exercises that move a muscle through its full range of motion. Concentrate on the muscle groups that you will be working during the workout.

You should not do static stretching before a workout as research suggests that it might actually reduce your range of motion and strength levels during the workout. 

How to Cool Down

A cooldown is similar to a warm-up but in reverse. It should also involve cardio and a stretching component. However, this time you can do some static stretching. That’s because there is some research suggesting that static stretching can help to reduce post exercises muscle soreness. 

Your cardio cooldown has the opposite intent of your warm-up. It should gradually reduce your body temperature and heart rate back to your pre-exercise level. If you are finishing the workout with cardio, gradually reduce the intensity of the exercise you’re doing until you are at a walking pace. Continue this pace for 2-3 minutes.

If your workout finishes with strength training, go over to the treadmill, or other cardio gear, and do a few minutes of slow walking.

Follow your cardio cool down with static stretching for the muscles you have been working. Hold each stretch for 15 minutes and do 5 reps on each stretch.