Are you looking to start a workout program to get back in shape and live a healthier life? Exercise might seem like a waste of time - but no matter what kind you choose or how busy you are, it’s important not to skip warming up before or cooling down after.
Unfortunately, most people skip warm-up exercises before and cool-down exercises after, usually to save time and just focus on the main part of the workout.
- Sadly, it’s not just the main part of the workout that matters - people who skip warm-up and cool-down before and after can do more harm to their bodies than they realize.
How important are warm-up and cool-down exercises?
- Both warm-up and cool-down involve exercising at lower intensity and slower pace, which improves your performance, prevents injuries, and helps with recovery.
- Warm-up activities include light jogging or slow cycling which helps prepare your heart and blood vessels for exercise by increasing blood flow to muscles and raising body temperature. It also lowers injury risk because when your muscles are warm enough, movements, stretches, and stress on them during exercise are less severe.
- Cooling down aims to gradually bring your heart rate and blood pressure back to normal levels (what they were before exercise). Your heart rate is usually much higher during exercise than usual, so it’s important to lower it gradually instead of stopping all movement suddenly.
- Relaxation also helps regulate blood flow, which is especially important for people doing endurance sports like long-distance running.
To relax safely, you should gradually slow down your workout pace during the last 10 minutes of exercise. For example, if you're running, slow to a brisk walk in the final 10 minutes.
Benefits of warming up:
Warming up improves your athletic performance in these ways:
- Improves blood flow - warming up for 10 minutes with light activity boosts blood flow to your muscles and opens tiny blood vessels. Your blood carries the oxygen your muscles need to work, so increasing blood flow is one of the best things you can do to prepare your muscles for exercise.
- Improves oxygen efficiency - when you warm up, oxygen is released from your blood more easily. Your muscles need more oxygen during exercise, so warming up makes this oxygen more available.
- Faster muscle relaxation - warming up raises your body temperature through physical activity, which in turn improves nerve signals and muscle metabolism so your muscles work faster and more efficiently.
- Injury prevention - warming up prevents injuries by relaxing joints and improving blood flow to your muscles, making them less likely to tear or sprain during exercise. Stretching exercises also help get your muscles ready for the physical activities you’re about to do.
- Mental readiness - One side benefit of warming up is that your mind focuses on your body and physical activity during this process. This focus will shift to the workout to help you improve your technique, coordination, and skills.
Relaxation benefits:
- Recovery - After intense exercise, lactic acid builds up in your system and your body needs time to get rid of it. Cooling down exercises like stretching can help release and remove lactic acid, speeding up your body's recovery after a workout.
- Reducing muscle soreness - Muscle soreness after exercise is expected but a lot of delayed muscle pain is very uncomfortable and can stop you from exercising again.
What happens if you don’t warm up and cool down properly?
- Increased injury risk:
Over 30% of the injuries seen in sports medicine clinics are skeletal muscle injuries, which can be easily prevented by warming up and stretching.
- Blood clots:
If you suddenly stop exercising without cooling down, your muscles will suddenly stop contracting strongly. This can cause blood to pool in the lower limbs, leaving the blood without enough pressure to return to the heart and brain. As a result, you might feel dizzy or even faint.
- Increased pressure on the heart and blood vessels
Warming up helps gradually raise your heart rate and breathing to a level that can meet the exercise demands. If you start exercising hard without warming up first, you'll put unnecessary strain on your heart and lungs.
