Warm Up, Cool Down, and Stretch

Many exercise-related injuries are a result of neglecting to properly warm-up your muscles prior to working out and performing a cool-down afterwards.

The primary goal of a warm-up is to loosen muscles, gradually increase the heart rate, and increase blood circulation to provide muscles with an adequate supply of oxygen.

Tips for a Warm-Up:

• Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes. Base the length of time spent on warming-up on how strenuous your activity is.
• Begin whatever activity you plan on doing (running, walking, cycling, etc.) at a slower pace, while gradually increasing the intensity.
• Do dynamic stretches. This means you’re not just standing in one spot, but using your entire body to move while loosening muscles. For example, try walking lunges by swinging the alternate leg forward to continue in a straight direction.
• Cooling-down allows the heart rate to gradually return to normal, restores muscles with blood circulation so they return to pre-workout conditions, and removes lactic acid to prevent post-workout soreness.

Tips for a Cool-Down:

• Begin with a light jog, then walk for about 5 minutes (or until your heart rate gets below 120 beats per minute).
• Do light static stretching while standing in place.
• Remember to stretch all muscle groups that were used during the activity.

Tips for 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.
• A stretch should be strong enough to feel, but never painful.
• Breathe while you’re stretching. Exhale on each stretch and inhale while holding.​