FitSugar

Do You Cool Down After Exercising?

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:47:31 -0700

Today I ran for 60 minutes and slowed to a walk for the last two blocks to cool down, allowing my heart rate to lower to something closer to my normal range. I stretched my calves as I walked up the stairs to my porch. Once inside, I stretched for five minutes or more, and it felt great. But I just read that the importance of cooling down is in question. According to an article in the New York Times, the notion of the cool-down remains from the bygone era when lactic acid was believed to cause post-workout muscle soreness. We know now that lactic acid actually fuels the muscles and a little cool-down does nothing to flush the once believed cause of pain out of the muscle. Why the benefits of a cool-down and pain prevention might be mythic, there are times when it is necessary. The NY Times explains:

Exercise researchers say there is only one agreed-on fact about the possible risk of suddenly stopping intense exercise. When you exercise hard, the blood vessels in your legs are expanded to send more blood to your legs and feet. And your heart is pumping fast. If you suddenly stop, your heart slows down, your blood is pooled in your legs and feet, and you can feel dizzy, even pass out.

The cool-down is especially important for elite athletes since they have slower heart rates than the average joe and due to their high fitness level their heart rates return to normal quickly as well, making the pooling of blood even more intense.

I personally enjoy a cool-down period. It punctuates a hard workout and gives me time to transition into my next feat - be it navigating the kids' car pool or making dinner. What about you?

You Asked: When to Stretch?

FitSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Hiya Fit,
I still consider myself to be a novice runner and am plagued with lower leg issues - mainly shin splints. I realize how important stretching is to prevent these types of issues but am just confused on when to stretch. So, I've got a question for you. For a runner, what are the best stretches to do before a run, the best stretches for right after a run, and the best stretches for rest days?
Thanks!
- Running Newbie

This is a great question, especially since stretching has long been associated with warming up. Learn when to stretch when you read more.

Stretching is a great way to increase flexibility, but is best done after you run or work out when your muscles are warm and pliable. This doesn't mean you skip warming up. The best way to prepare your body for running is to walk briskly or jog slowly for five to 10 minutes. This really applies to all kinds of cardio workouts: warm up with an easier form of what you will be doing. Bike in an easy gear or use the elliptical with low resistance and slight incline. Also consider doing a dynamic warmup for running, by doing slow and exaggerated motions of running: high marches, butt kicks, heel walks, toe walks, and then some walking lunges.

When you are done with your run - remember to cool down by going more slowly for the last five to 10 minutes, depending on the length of your run, to get your heart rate down - you should stretch. Here are some stretches I recommend post-run. As for shin splints, make sure to keep your calves flexible with these stretches, which you can do every day after you've walked for a bit, and check your gait. Here are some tips to help prevent shin splints.

Have fun running!

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You Still Need to Cool Down When It's Cold Outside

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

When you love to run and daylight is limited, you might feel a little pinched for time. One way people save time is skipping the cool down since it is cold outside anyway. I am here to remind you that no matter the length of your run you need to cool down. Cooling down after a run isn't really about lowering your body temperature. It is about allowing your heart rate to slow down gradually so you don't shock your cardiovascular system. When running, your heart pumps large amounts of blood to your legs and skipping a cool down means blood will pool in them, overtaxing your heart. Since one of the reasons to run is to keep your heart healthy, you don't want to end a workout leaving your heart in a lurch. So pay attention to your heart rate rather than your temperature.

A good cool down will also help reduce sore muscles. It generally requires jogging slowly for five minutes, followed by five minutes of walking. The walking will help stretch your hip flexors, too. If it is too cold outside, move the walking portion of your cool down inside. I will admit when I do this, my dog gets very confused as I pace around, but my heart and leg appreciate it.

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You Asked: Why Are Warmups and Cooldowns Important?

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Hey FitSugar,
I've been reading that warmups on treadmills are important to lose weight; why is warming up and cooling down important?
- Confused Cardio Fan

Thanks for the question. I'm happy to say that your sources are correct, both warming up and cooling down are very important. To find out why just read more.

Even though they may seem totally unnecessary, a warmup and cooldown are crucial to your workout. It doesn't take much, but just five minutes of a cardio warmup is enough to get your blood flowing. Not only will your muscles work more as a result, but a warmup also decreases your body's perceived exertion of how hard you are working (things feel easier), and it helps prevent injuries. Plus, your heart is a muscle and it needs to be eased into exercise too.

A five-minute cooldown cools (hence the name) your body temperature and allows the body to remove the waste products from muscles that were worked, prevents delayed onset muscle soreness and blood pooling (which could lead to fainting), and decreases the adrenaline in your blood stream (relaxes you).

In terms of weight loss, properly starting and ending a workout decreases the likelihood that you'll get injured, which increases the likelihood that you'll keep at it each day. Plus, an extra 10 minutes of moving around means more calories burned and, as we all know by now, every little bit counts.

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Fit Tip: Cool Down After Lifting

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Even if you're only lifting weights or doing body resistance exercises, you should still cool down. A great cool down for your lifting days is stretching the worked muscles for five minutes. Then using a foam roller over the worked body parts for another five minutes. Your tired muscles will appreciate the love after making them work so hard.

Need ideas for stretches? Be sure to check out all the stretches I've posted about.

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What to Do After Your Workout

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:45:00 -0800

You might not have ever thought about this but what do you do once you've finished 30 minutes of cardio and lifted your last rep of your last set? Go home? Not quite.

Just because you've done the hard part does not mean that you should just pack up and head on home. Feel free to congratulate yourself for a job well done, but here are a few more things you should consider doing:

Hydrate. Just because you're done working out doesn't mean you're done hydrating. Chances are you've lost a good bit of water during your workout, even during Winter workouts, so be sure to keep on drinking water to keep hydrated beyond your workout.
Cool-down. A 5-10 minute cool down is necessary to bring your heart rate back down to a normal rate, lower your body temperature, as well as help prevent blood pooling, muscle soreness and cramps.

There are a few more tips so read more.

Stretch. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "Stretch after exercising." If you need reasons why, be sure to check out my top ten reasons to stretch.
Eat. This is the one most people have the hardest time with because it seems counter productive, however, it is very important to refuel after a workout - within 90 minutes. I'm not saying you should stop at Macaroni Grill on your way home from the gym, but try to eat something that will help repair your torn muscles and replenish your lost energy.

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How to Avoid Sports Injuries

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I think it is safe to say that no one enjoys being sidelined by an injury. If you have ever sat on the sidelines and watched your team play, you know how sitting out can hurt almost as much as the injury. On that sad note, here are a few ideas on how to avoid those sports related injuries that put you off your fitness track.

Warm up: Take 10 minutes to bring your heart rate up to your target zone while gradually priming your muscles and connective tissue for action. Warming up improves your overall mobility and coordination.
Cool down: Cooling down works like your warm up, but in reverse. By taking 10 minutes to bring your heart rate safely back to normal, you also help your muscles flush any build up of waste products from your muscles. This helps decrease post workout stiff joints and sore muscles.
Stretch: You should definitely stretch after every workout; just include it in your cool down (see number two). Keeping flexible reduces your chances of pulling a muscle or straining a ligament.
Good Technique: There is often a reason for "technique" and it is not usually an aesthetic one. No! Good technique helps to protect the body. Form is very important when it comes to working with weights. If you find that you are lifting sloppily, stop and evaluate the weight you're lifting and your form. Using control is always a good idea when strength training.
Good Shoes: Good shoes go a long way. Most athletics shoes are highly engineered to protect your feet and your body from the impact often associated with running. Plus, sneakers are designed to handle the specific demands of different sports. Playing tennis in running shoes is practically a twisted ankle waiting to happen.

Hopefully these tips will keep you playing all season, no matter if your sport is soccer, running, or step aerobics!

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Cool Weather Tip: Warm Up and Cool Down

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Temperatures are cooling down, and if you work out outside, you are going to need to lengthen your warm up time. It seems obvious, but our muscles and joints take more time to warm up in the cooler weather.

So you need to factor in the temperature when warming up. The cooler the weather, the longer the warm up. Especially if you are running in the morning and it is cold, add at least five minutes to your warm up pace before kicking into high gear. Also, save intervals for the latter part of a run to decrease your chance of pulling a muscle.

Also, since it is cool outside you may not feel the need to cool down, but I am here to remind you not to skip this important part of your workout. You need to give your heart time to slowly lower. You should pay attention to your heart rate, not your body temperature. You are cooled down when your heart rate and breathing rate have returned to normal.

Want to know more about the importance of the cool down? Then be sure to check out 5 Things: The Cool Down.

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5 Things: The Cool Down

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:30:00 -0700

The post-workout cool down is just as important as the pre-workout warm up, but many of us skip it - especially if we are short on time. Read the following five things and hopefully they will inspire you to make the time.

Cool down by walking or jogging for five to ten minutes. This slowing down helps to cool your body temperature and allows the body to remove the waste products from muscles that were worked.
Stretching is an essential component of the cool down. Not only does stretching muscles post workout help increase the range of motion of your joints, but it also continues the cooling down of your hot body.
The cool down helps prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the nemesis of fitness freaks. Post-workout pain often discourages fitness newbies and they lose their drive. So if you are new to the fitness world, don't cut your cool down short.
Cooling down decreases your chances of fainting in the locker room. Abruptly ending a cardio workout can cause blood to pool in your extremities leaving you dizzy and light headed or causing you to faint. It also helps your heart rate gradually return to normal.
A cool down helps you end on a calm note by decreasing the adrenaline in your blood stream.

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You Asked: Workout Times and Exercise

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:15:00 -0700

I have always been a little confused about exercise times. I do cardio for a total of 30 minutes, but 10 minutes of that is warm up and cool down. Should I actually do a total of 40 minutes - 10 minute warm up and cool down with 30 minutes vigorous activity - to achieve benefits? In other words, are recommended exercise times inclusive of warm up and cool down?
- Confused Carol

I'm glad you've asked this question because I actually always wondered about this for years before I figured it out too! The new fitness guidelines state that: All healthy adults ages 18 to 65 years need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 20 minutes on three days each week.

This means that five days a week your target heart rate should be 50 to 70% of your maximum heart rate (220-age=maximum heart rate) for at least 30 minutes. Or that three days a week your target heart rate should be 70 to 85% your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes. This is not inclusive of warm up and cool down, so you have it exactly right when you say you should increase your workout to 40 minutes. In 40 minutes you can do a 5 min warm-up, a 30 min cardio session (where your heart rate is at 50-70% of your max) and a 5 min cool down.

A heart rate monitor is a great way to keep track of your heart rate and as coincidence has it, I'm giving one away for free! You could win your very own Polar Heart Rate Monitor, so click here to enter the contest (to be entered, all you have to do is comment once).

Fit's Tip: If you're a bit crunched for time, then you might want to opt for the higher intensity (75-85% of your MHR) cardio workout at a shorter duration (20 mins).

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