Hi All,

Sometimes it can be hard to find the time to exercise and this can lead to people opting to skip the warm up and cool down activities. However, it is highly likely that these people wake up the next morning with tired, achy and stiff muscles.

By ensuring you warm up and cool down you reduce the risk of muscle injuries and help prevent muscle soreness the next day.

Warm up facts:

• Act of increasing body temperature, improving mobility and enhancing mental readiness through performing  sports specific  activities
• The most effective warm up consists of both general and specific exercises
• General exercises include jogging, general stretching and resistance exercise
• Increase speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles
• Dynamic exercises reduce muscle stiffness
• Warm muscles means that we can utilise blood oxygen more efficiently
• Facilitates nerve transmission and muscle metabolism
• Increase blood flow

Cool Down facts:

• Cool down involves a short period at the end of an exercise session during which the physical activity of the body is gradually reduces to almost its resting level.
• Often involves a period of low-impact aerobic exercise which is gradually reduced, followed by a few stretching exercises
• Gradually reduces the heart rate while still assisting venous return
• Helps to get rid of waste product including Lactic acid
• Reduces the potential for Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
• Reduces chance of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of venous blood at the extremities
• Reduces levels of adrenaline in the blood
• Allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate (within 30 beats of what it was before exercise session started)

So next time you think it will save you time to skip the warm up and cool down exercises, just think about how much slower you will be the next day due to sore, stiff and tired muscles.