Cool Down After Exercise is Very Important!

So far I have been involved in sports since I was in high school, I noticed one thing everywhere I go. NOBODY DOES THEIR COOL DOWN.

Ok. I do see some individuals who does their warm up at my local gym, but I can honestly say I do not see anyone who does their cool down properly. Somehow this fact disappoints me. Knowing the benefits of a cool down session but never actually performing the cool down session.

Let me just share with you a few importance facts when it comes to warm up and cool down.

Warm up
1) Increase heart rate. Heart rate should be around 120 bpm for it to be counted as warmed up.
2) Increases muscle flexibility and elasticity. With this, your muscle will be able to perform better.
3) Prevent injuries. If you just go into your exercise without a proper warm up, you will pull or injure your working muscle. ( I experienced this before and it is NOT NICE)

Cool down
1) Helps reduce lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced at the joints and muscles after exercise and it will lead to muscle soreness. Some researches suggest that lactic acid is not the main cause of muscle soreness, it is the effect of various metabolites into the tissue surrounding the muscle cells which causes muscle soreness or better known as DOMS.
2) Reduces heart rate and stabilizes breathing. Cooling down will lower heart rate and relaxes breathing after a strenuous exercise session.
3) IMPORTANT. REDUCES INJURY. By cooling down, you increases your flexibility and reduces dizziness ( dizziness is proven to work anecdotally as my dad who was feeling dizzy after hiking felt better after I forced him to cool down). Suddenly stop to your exercise will cause blood rush to the legs and less to the brain thus causing dizziness.

Don't know how to cool down? Cool down can be done firstly by walk around 5-10 min until you are breathing and talking normally (due to a lowered heart rate), then perform static stretching from head to toe and hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Hope these information will show you the importance of warming up and cooling down. I believe by doing all these simple but important procedures, it will make your exercise session more fun and injury free. c:

YOU CAN MAKE THE CHANGE! WARM UP AND COOL DOWN ALWAYS!