Post by julian on Jan 9, 2006 15:43:06 GMT
Why Warm Up and Cool Down?
To be safe, an aerobic program should begin with a warm up period. The main purpose of warming up is to increase your heart rate slightly. This has two benefits: 1) it raises your core body temperature; and 2) it increases the blood (oxygen) flow to your muscles to prepare your body for more vigorous physical activity. Your muscles and tendons (which attach your muscles to your bones) will be more flexible for stretching after mild movement has raised your internal body temperature. This flexibility helps you increase the range of motion of your joints and may help you avoid injuries such as muscle tears and pulls.
What muscles should I warm up?
Focus on warming up large muscle groups (i.e. quadriceps, calves, chest, etc...) In an aerobic class, participants march in place, grapevine, do knee lifts etc... for the legs. To warm up the chest and shoulder area, participants do shoulder rolls, arm circles etc... Runners/joggers could begin their run with a fast walk for 3 to 5 minutes followed by a stretch prior to the actual run itself.
How Long should I warm up?
It takes your body approximately 3 minutes to realize it needs to pump more blood to your muscles. Warm ups should last approximately 5 - 10 minutes and they should incorporate stretching of large muscle groups (such as the quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders etc...)
Why Cool Down?
After you've reached and maintained your training heart rate level in the aerobic portion of your class, it is important to recover gently. The cool down serves two purposes: 1) it reduces your pulse; and 2) it returns the blood to your heart in sufficient quantities to rid the muscles of lactic acid (a chemical result of muscular fatigue). If you stop suddenly, the blood will pool in your legs instead of returning to your heart. Dizziness, nausea and a "worn out" feeling are common symptoms of an improper cool down.
Duration of Cool Downs
It takes your body approximately 3 minutes to realize it does not need to pump all the additional blood to your muscles. A safe cool down period is at least 3 minutes, preferably 4-5 minutes. All cool downs should be followed by stretching of the muscles to avoid soreness and tightness.
