Warming up and Cooling Down

Warming up and cooling down are important parts of exercise. The basic principle is to allow your body to prepare for exercise and to gradually slow down after exercise with smooth transitions. Many physiological changes occur when you begin an individual exercise session that allow your body to function at a sustained high level. These changes can occur quickly if necessary, as when going from a resting state (such as sitting on a park bench) to a very physically active state (such as getting out of the way of a runaway hotdog cart heading toward the bench that you are sitting on). This is called the fight-or-flight response, and it's directly associated with a surge of adrenaline. It makes your heart pound and your breathing quicken. If you do not warm up before you begin exercising, your experience will be similar to that in the fight-or-flight response-unpleasant. Warming up allows your body to gradually adjust to the new physiological stress in a more comfortable manner. It stimulates the body gently, gradually increasing the blood flow to your muscles, making it easier to move faster.

Warm up and cool down with stretching and low-intensity movements - these transitions before and after exercise are important.

Warm-up exercises should consist of stretching and light aerobic activity based on the type of exercise you plan on doing. For example, if you plan on playing competitive racquetball, make sure that you do stretches that focus on the upper body, especially the shoulders, as well as the back and lower body. In addition, you would benefit from light aerobic activity to get your body ready for a smooth transition into high aerobic functioning. In contrast, if you plan on walking for 30 minutes at a low to moderate intensity, then you may choose to do only some light stretching focused on your lower extremities.

The cool-down allows your body to return gradually to its resting state. I have seen the extreme consequences of not cooling down when I provided medical coverage at long endurance events such as marathons. I recall one specific incident in which a man who had just finished a race stopped running immediately after he crossed the finish line and then collapsed. His body was still geared for exercise, and the increased pooling of blood in the lower extremities took blood away from his brain and caused him to collapse. He quickly recovered with minimal medical care.

Cool-down exercises consist mainly of walking and stretching based on the specific activity you just finished doing. For example, if you've just finished running, make a transition into a fast walk and gradually slow down to a comfortable walk over the next five minutes or until you feel comfortable. Then stop and do some lower-body stretches.