ELIMINATING EXCUSES | fitness

Now you understand the importance of warming-up with stretching being part of the warm-up. You already know how to DO SOMETHIN’ since we’ve been working on that since day 1. So what’s next? After a proper warm-up and an intense workout, it is important to cool down. The cool down allows your body to transition smoothly from your workout (elevated heart rate) to a more relaxed state (resting heart rate). For the cool down, do similar activities to what you did during your warm-up and work out but with an intensity level similar to your warm-up. Stretching during your cool down is also a good idea to help loosen up muscles that may have tightened up during the workout and to continue working on flexibiltiy.

The cool down . . .

1) Prevents postexercise venous blood pooling and too rapid a drop in blood pressure, thereby reducing the likelihood of postexercise lightheadedness or fainting.

2) Reduces the immediate postexercise tendency for muscle spasm or cramping.

3) Reduces the concentration of exercises hormones (e.g., norepinephrine) that are at relatively high levels immediately after vigorous aerobic exercise. The reduction will lower the probability of postexercise disturbances in cardiac rhythm.

DO SOMETHIN’!

*information source: ACE Personal Trainer Manual 3rd edition, edited by Cedric X. Bryant, Ph. D and Daniel J. Green, page 215.

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