We must warm up to WARMING UP.
Too often, the focus on playing sports overrides the importance of what comes before and after. Few people realize that while they may be separate acts, warm up and cool down are an extension of the game. We must realize that the game begins, not at kick-off, but when you do your first stretch. That it ends, not at the final whistle, but when you do your last stretch.
Now that you have warmed up to the idea of warm up, let me tell you why, how and when you too, should warm up and cool down.
Every time before you exercise, always remember to warm up your muscles. This increases the temperature and flexibility of your muscles and helps you have a safer, more efficient workout. A warm up is designed to elevate core body temperature. The generalized warm up movements are important for maximizing sports performance and reducing injury risk in physical activity.
Directions: An ideal warm up should extend for 5 to 10 minutes. The more intense the activity, the longer the warm up.
Do whatever activity you plan on doing (running, walking, etc.) at a slower pace (jog, walk slowly).
Why should you warm up? Here is why.
1) Warm up prepares the cardiovascular system for the impending workload. Further, it helps the heart and blood vessels adjust to the body’s increased demands for oxygen.
2) Warm up increases the blood saturation of muscles and connective tissues. As more blood reaches the muscles, tendons and ligaments, the elasticity of tissues increases.
3) Warming up helps promote sweating. While I do not want to be crude, do remember sweat is good. It reduces the amount of heat stored in the body. Also, remember that your body spends more energy in cooling itself than through any other activity.
4) Warm up increases degradation of oxyhemoglobin. Simply put, warming up helps break down the chemical complex of oxygen, separating from the blood and enhancing its delivery to the muscle.
5.) Warm ups stimulate the synovial fluid in the joints. This is especially important to older individuals and those who have had injuries as they have a reduced flow.
COOL DOWN, think about it. A cool down provides the body with a smooth transition from a state of higher activity back to a steady state of rest. It promotes recovery and returns the body to its pre-workout state. During a strenuous workout, your body goes through a number of stressful processes. Your muscle fibers, tendon, and ligaments get damaged, and waste products build up within your body. The cool down, when performed properly, assists your body in its repair process.
Directions: Walk for about 5 minutes, or until your heart rate gets below 120 beats per minute.
Next up is stretching. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. If you feel you need more, stretch the other side and return for another set of stretching. The stretch should be strong, but not painful. Do not bounce. Breathe while you’re stretching. Exhale as you stretch, inhale while holding the stretch.
Why must one cool down? Well, here is why.
1.) Cool down reduces heart rate and also slows down breathing rate
2.) Further, cooling down also brings down the body temperature.
3.) Cool down returns muscles to their optimal length-tension relationships and also increases flexibility.
4.) Furthermore, cool down prevents venous pooling of blood in the lower extremities.
5.) Finally, cool down lessens the effects of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is a common side-effect of intense exercise.
Thus, warming up and cooling down is absolutely vital in any workouts.
Remember, the game does not begin till the first stretch, and is over only after the last.
Feel free to share your views in the comments section below.
