Remember to warm up and cool down with your workout.
You’re ready to hit the running trails or the gym to keep up your active lifestyle. There’s no doubt that exercising provides countless benefits! But do you remember to warm up and cool down before and after each workout? If not, your body might not be getting all it can from your workouts.
Getting Your Heart Rate Up
When you warm up before exercising, it increases your heart rate and gets your muscles oxygenated. If you’re in the gym, a warm up can be as simple as getting onto a stationary bike for 5-10 minutes with mild to moderate resistance. If you’re doing specific weight lifting exercises like a bench press, you might want to start off with more targeted light stretching of the chest muscles followed by an introductory warm-up with the bar before adding weights for your workout.
Preventing Injury
This same method can be applied to any specific workout you might be doing. Warming up will help prevent those freak accidents where you might injure a hamstring or joint. It’ll help you to avoid those unforeseen instances that can sideline you from working out for weeks, or even months!
Cooling down for Your Health
Even more active people might not realize that the cool down period after a workout is just as important as warming up. You’ve just had an increased heart rate, you’re feeling good and are about to head back home. Your circulation and heart need to stop gradually to prevent any risk that could contribute to a heart attack, which is especially important for those in their 40s and beyond.
A cool down may help prevent these more serious events as well as offsetting muscle soreness and joint stiffness following your workout. We’re ready to guide you in safe, effective workouts — contact us today!