Effective cooling down after exercise

Do you know that making time to cool down after a work-out is just as important as warming up before you start exercising? Cooling down helps to reduce heart rates, allows breathing to return back to normal and can prevent dizziness.

The body undergoes stress during rigorous exercise; muscles, tendons and ligaments experience a lot of strain and waste products build up inside the body. By cooling down properly after exercise, the body is able to release muscle strain and flush toxins. The soreness that is usually experienced the day or two after a strenuous workout can help to be alleviated by cooling down consistently after exercise. Waste products such as lactic acid (a chemical byproduct of muscular fatigue) can remain in the muscles and cause swelling and pain when exercise is abruptly stopped. Another process, called “blood pooling”, can be avoided by cooling down, bringing blood to the heart in sufficient quantities and reducing lactic acid within the muscles. Blood pooling is the accumulation of blood in the extremities and occurs naturally when we engage in vigorous exercise. That is one reason that you will see long distance runners adopt walking or light jogging postures after a race or observe horses brought down to a canter after galloping the turf course.

Effective cooling down involves restoration of the circulatory system, allowing repair and nutrient replenishment to the body. It should include gentle exercise, stretching and fueling. These three factors work together and ignoring any of them can result in dizziness and nausea. By initially engaging in lower intensity exercise to lower the heart rate, followed by stretching the muscles that have been most actively utilized, and ending with the refueling of water, mineral and protein can help get your body back to normal safely, quickly, preparing you for the next day’s workout. Getting a good night’s sleep is also a critical part of the final cool down process.

ref: B.L.I.