When it comes to working out, skipping warm-up exercises and cool-down exercises is pretty common. This is especially true when you’re in a hurry and want to finish your main routine as soon as possible. But what if we tell you that trying to save this time will do you more harm than good?
Read on to understand why warming up and cooling down are so important. We’ll also recommend some of the top warm-up and cool-down exercises people have found most effective.
Importance of Warm-Up Exercises
Strength training is a great way to boost your energy and build muscle. However, warming up is a crucial step for its preparation. Warm-up exercises signal your brain that you are about to do some heavy lifting. This causes it to activate the muscles by increasing blood flow to them. To make movement smoother, synovial fluid is also released at the joints for lubrication.
Another benefit of warm-up exercises is that they gradually increase your heart rate. This prepares your heart so it doesn’t feel stressed by the intense workout you plan to do. The combination of all these benefits helps prevent injury and help you achieve your training goals with ease.
Best Warm-Up Activities
Typically, a good warm-up takes between 5 to 10 minutes. Some of the best warm-up exercises you should incorporate into your program include:
Aerobic Exercise
First, you want to start with 2-3 minutes of basic aerobic exercises like light jogging or speed walking. You can also just slowly cycle on a flat terrain or casually swim for a few minutes. This is just so that your heart rate can start to increase and your body understands what is coming next.
Stretching
After you’re done with your aerobic prep, it’s time for some dynamic stretching. This helps increase the flexibility of your muscles and joints for enhanced performance. Some common stretches include arm circles, high knees, and leg swings. Just make sure that the stretches you choose are similar to the workout movements you’re about to perform.
Dynamic Exercises
When it comes to warming up, dynamic exercises are a must. These help increase blood flow to your muscles so that you have a wide range of mobility for your workout. Some common dynamic exercises you should try include:
Air Squats
To do an air squat, start by standing tall with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. With your feet pointed forward, move your hips back and down while maintaining your lumbar curve. When you’re at the bottom phase of the squat, your hips will be lower than your knees.
With your heels flat on the ground, ascend back to the standing position at full knee and hip extension. Also, remember to keep most of your weight on your mid-foot or heel rather than your toes.
Leg Swings
Leg swings are considered great for getting your legs ready and opening up your hips. To do these, you’ll need to be on one foot with some kind of support near you, like a wall or pole. Start with one hand on your hip and the other on the support. Then, with your back upright, swing your leg as far away as you can from the support. Repeat this and gradually increase the height of your swing for maximum mobility.
Single-Leg Hops
Another easy dynamic warm-up exercise you can do is single-leg hops. These help prepare your calves, quadriceps, and glutes. You want to start straight with your feet apart at hip width and hands on your hips. Then, lift your left leg behind you so you are standing completely on your right leg. Start hopping on that one leg with your knees and toes slightly flexed. Once done with the right leg, do the same with your left one.
Sport-Specific Exercise
Now it’s time to activate the specific muscles you’ll be using in your workout plan. Engaging them helps with neuromuscular connection and keeps muscle imbalance at bay. For example, some exercises you should do before strength training or weight lifting include planks and glute bridges. You can also do some shoulder rotations, squats, and push-ups.
Bonus Tip: Gradual Increase in Intensity
Now that your body is getting the hang of things, gradually increase the intensity of your warm-up. Do this for 2-3 minutes until the warm-up exercise intensity is close to your actual routine. This way, when you start your main training, the transition will be smooth for your body.
Importance Cool-Down Exercises
Cool-down exercises are as important as warming up. After strength training, your body temperature is elevated, and your heart is beating fast. Completely stopping training in this state will shock your system, making you faint or feel sick.
To avoid this, it’s best to gradually slow down your activity by cooling down. This will allow your temperature and breathing to slowly go back to normal. It will also help clear out any lactic acid that was produced during your out. Some researchers even say that these exercises can help prevent Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Best Cool-Down Activities
When it comes to cool-down exercises, you want to include the following in your routine:
Intensity Reduction Exercises
You want to start your cool-down exercises by slowly decreasing the intensity of your workout. For this, pick an activity that is low-intensity but also mimics the workout you were doing. As a result, your heart rate will start to gradually slow down, bringing your body into a recovery phase. This transition phase should last between 5-10 minutes.
Static Stretching
Next, while your body is still warm, perform some static stretching. For this, you basically hold a stretched position for about a minute before moving to the next. Some common cool-down stretches you can try are hamstring, calf, and arm stretches. These will help prevent injury and increase your body’s flexibility.
Deep Breathing
Once you’re done with static stretching, it’s time to bring your body completely back to normal. The best way to do this is by using deep breathing exercises. You can also do some meditation to really relax your body. Do this for a few minutes until you feel your heart rate is back to normal. Your breathing shouldn’t be stressed and match the standard rate of 12-18 breaths per minute.
Foam Rolling
Another great cool-down activity to do after your workout is foam rolling. In this method, you use a foam roll to massage your stressed muscles. The foam roll basically applies pressure to tight areas and increases blood circulation in that direction. This helps to get rid of any muscle adhesions, giving your body a better range of mobility. Moreover, you also lose the post-workout tightness, fatigue, and soreness.
Conclusion
Working out is great, but doing proper cooling down and warm-up exercises is more important. They help you efficiently achieve training goals and also prevent injury. As a beginner, you may not be able to decide what warm-up and cool-down routine is best for you.
That’s why you should contact me at Coffey Crew Coaching. I’m a certified personal trainer and coach who has run marathons in over 45 states. With me by your side, you can achieve training goals that you once thought were impossible.
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