Why is it important to do warm-up and cool-down exercises? Can I skip them from my workout?
IntroductionWe all have seen people who felt back pain,muscle cramps,joint pain after workout or any rigorous physical activity. Have you ever thought it may be due to lack of standard practice which consist of your warm up, exercise ,and cool downWarmupIts good to start your exercise routine with warm up as, the importance of warm up exercises can be compared to driving your car in freezing cold weather. It is generally best to allow your car to warm up a bit before revving it up to high speeds. The same principle applies when you work out. You want to physically prepare your body for the demands of a strenuous workout by gradually increasing your body temperature.Its true that warming up won't burn hundreds of calories, but it will help your muscles to ready for activity, which ultimately help you adapt the change.It also Increase the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles,which prevents you from getting out of breath too early or too easily.Stretching during warm up help you with muscle flexibility and prevent joint painCool DownA cool down means you are still moving your body after workout but just at a slower rate. When you stop exercising suddenly without taking time to cool down, your heart rate slows abruptly and that blood can pool in your lower body, causing dizziness and even fainting sometimes.It’s also good to stretch as last thing when you’re cooling down because your limbs, muscles and joints are still warm and it can help reduce the buildup of lactic acid, which can lead to muscles cramping and stiffness.So don’t plop down in a chair or collapse on the exercise mat, after you’ve just finished and always remember thatYou are not stronger at the end of your workouts, you are actually weaker. It's during your diet and the rest period that you recover and get stronger.Source of information :- Natural Health Tips(click here)
What are some good warm-up and cool-down exercises?
Warm-ups are as important as your workout. They don’t only help you reduce the risk of injuries in your workout but they help prepare your muscles and get them ready for the task ahead.However, just as an opera singer doesn’t warm up like a modern dancer, a marathoner doesn’t warm up like a power lifter.For a strength trainer, it’s good to focus on activities that will get all the joints moving at a time, then all together, gradually takes your body through movements that loosen and stretches your muscles__ the Classic dynamic moves/war-ups. This could include walking lunges, toe touches, and high knees.For endurance or cardio routines, dynamic stretching will work well__ those are movements that tend to be similar to what you will do in your workout but in a lower intensity; like a brisk walk before a run, or bodyweight squats before adding weight.Few Dynamic stretches you can try are:Quad Pull with TiltThis is good for your knees, hips, and ankles. This is done by grabbing your right foot with your right hand while standing on your left leg. Then you begin to lean forward slightly while pulling the right knee up in the air.Leg cradle to side lungeBack Lunge To Groinerhamstring kicks2-3 minutes of jump rope50 jumping jacks 20 body weight squats5 lunges (each leg)10 hip extensions5 hip rotations each leg (like you’re stepping over a fence)10 forward and 10 side leg swings (each leg)10-20 push ups (scale based on your level of fitness)10 spiderman steps (each leg)Cooling down exercisesAlways remember to cool down after exercising. This gives your muscles a chance to relax and prevents your blood pressure from dropping too rapidly, which can happen if your blood is allowed to pool in your extremities.If you’re a runner, you’ll obviously be working out your legs most of all. So doing some squats after a run keeps your legs pumping without the stress of actually running. These can be wonderful cool down exercises. If you’re lifting weights, you can decrease to a weight you can lift very easily and just do a lot of repetitions. For runners, laying down and doing scissor kicks can be an excellent cool down. If you’ve been cycling, start out in fifth gear, then gradually work your way down to first gear.Here are some few more examples of cooling-down exercises you can explore:Jumping jacksWalkingJogging in placeYogaTae BoStretching those legsStretching that chestSwimmingGet a massageI hope this helps.Good luck!
Why is it important to warm up before and cool down after exercise?
Explain the effectiveness of of a good warm-up in relation to your exercise performance. Explain the effectiveness of a good cool-down in relation to recovery from exercise.
Why is it important to cool down properly after exercising?
It has something to do with the way your muscles assist the return of venous blood to your heart. Muscle contractions during exercise take some of the work away from the heart. If you stop all at once, it basically drops all that extra load on the heart. If you "cool down", you are gradually returning the additional blood pumping task over to the heart without shocking it. Stopping without cooling down can result in dizziness or fainting. However, I would imagine it depends on your heart health too. I also exercise often without a cooldown... but it probably isn't a good habit.
Why do we cool down & warm up instead of cool up & warm down?
Because when something “heats up,” the thermal energy that it contains is increased. When something “cools down,” the thermal energy it contains decreases. So it makes sense to say “down” when talking about something decreasing, and to say “up” when referring to something that is increasing.
What are the best warm up and cool down exercises for long distance runners?
Dear Ajith,‘Best’ warm up or cool down depends on what you are planning to do in the workout and more importantly how regularly and intensely you exercise. I am presuming you are not very regular (apologies, if otherwise!)So here is the suggested warm up:Do at least 5 minutes of running on the spot or moderately brisk walk firstDo some swinging and rolling: arm swings, shoulder rolls, knee hooks and hip rotations are good. Start with limited range and do full range of movement later on (do at least 10–15 rotations each)Partial squat and toe touch would be good, especially for warming up the thigh musclesSorry, I have no videos to share yet, but ‘Johnson & Johnson’ 7 minute workout has these warm up exercises, you could download the appSuggested cool down:Again, running at decreased pace for the last 5–10 minutes of your session is goodFollow it up with some stretching exercises. The commonest recommended by American College of Sport’s Medicine (ACSM) are the followingHamstrings. Sit on the ground with legs straight in front of you. Gently lean forward from the hips (try to keep the back fairly straight) until a stretch is felt on the back of the thighs.Hip flexors. Stand on one foot, and bring the other foot to the buttocks. Pull back gently, while keeping your knee pointed at the ground and your hip straight. If needed, hold onto a counter or chair to keep your balance.Calves. Step forward with one leg. Shift your weight toward the front leg while keeping the back heel on the ground. If you press the hip of your back leg forward, this will also help stretch the hip flexors.Chest muscles. Standing in a corner, bring hands up to shoulder height and place against the wall on either side. Keeping hands in position, lean body forward until a stretch is felt in the front of the chest. This can also be done using a doorway, turning away from the hand that is on the wall.For stretches of arm muscles, check out the J&J link aboveAm working on a video of warm up and cool down exercise, follow my youtube channel or facebook page for updateDo not forget to add strength training to your exercise programHappy running!
Why is it important to warm up before playing sports or exercise?
A warm-up is a session which takes place prior to doing physical activity; usually a warm-up will consist of light cardiovascular exercises combined with stretches.Most warm-up sessions will include a combination of cardiovascular exercises, stretching and strength drills. The cardiovascular exercises are designed to increase circulation, increase body temperature and bring the heart rate up, while stretching warms the muscles and prepare them for the movements they will be required to carry out during the activity. Explosive strength exercises, which may include sprint drills or jumps, gently increase the level of intensity and prepare the body for sudden movements in the game which will follow; these exercises should only be done once the muscles are warm; this will prevent injuries.The most important reason for doing a warm up is to prevent injury during exercise; keeping the muscles warm will prevent acute injuries such as hamstring strains and will stave off overuse injuries by allowing the body to prepare steadily and safely. In more static sports, such as cricket, it is a good idea to stretch throughout the game as this will keep the muscles warm and allow them to function effectively; substitutes should also continue to run and stretch while they are waiting to join a game; this is commonly seen in football matches where the substitutes jog, jump and stretch along the sidelines.for more you can visit:Why do we need to warm up before exercise?