WARM-UP AND COOL DOWN

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Warm Up / Cool Down Why Warm Up / Cool Down? What are the benefits of a Warm Up / Cool Down? What are the Parts of an Effective Warm-Up / Cool Down? How long to Warm Up / Cool Down? Warm-up / Cool Down Example

Warm Up & Cool Down

Warm Up

A warm-up is usually performed before participating in technical sports or exercising. A warm-up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity (pulse raiser), a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity. For example, before running or playing an intense sport one might slowly jog to warm muscles and increase heart rate. It is important that warm ups should be specific to the exercise that will follow, which means that exercises (of warm up) should prepare the muscles to be used and to activate the energy systems that are required for that particular activity. Warming up prepares the body mentally and physically.

Why Warm Up?

Warming up prior to any physical activity does a number of beneficial things, but primarily its main purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the body's core temperature, while also increasing the body's muscle temperature. By increasing muscle temperature you're helping to make the muscles loose, supple and pliable.

An effective warm up also has the effect of increasing both your heart rate and your respiratory rate. This increases blood flow, which in turn increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. All this helps to prepare the muscles, tendons and joints for more strenuous activity.

Keeping in mind the aims or goals of an effective warm up, we can then go on to look at how the warm up should be structured.

What are the benefits of a warm up?

Performance may be improved as an appropriate warm up will result in an:

Increased speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles. Dynamic exercises reduce muscle stiffness. Greater economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles. Facilitated oxygen utilization by warmed muscles because hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures. Facilitated nerve transmission and muscle metabolism at higher temperatures; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent all out activity. Increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscle temperatures.

What are the Parts of an Effective Warm-Up?

There are four key elements, or parts, which should be included to ensure an effective and complete warm up. They are:

1. The general warm up.2. Static stretching.3. Dynamic stretching.4. The sports specific warm up.

All four parts are equally important and any one part should not be neglected or thought of as not necessary. All four elements work together to bring the body and mind to a physical peak, ensuring the athlete is prepared for the activity to come. This process will help ensure the athlete has a minimal risk of sports injury.

1. The General Warm Up

The general warm up should consist of a light physical activity, like walking, jogging, easy swimming, stationary bike, skipping or easy aerobics. Both the intensity and duration of the general warm up (or how hard and how long), should be governed by the fitness level of the participating athlete. Although a correct general warm up for the average person should take about five to ten minutes and result in a light sweat.

The aim of the general warm up is simply to elevate the heart rate and respiratory rate. This in turn increases the blood flow and helps with the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. This also helps to increase the muscle temperature, allowing for a more effective static stretch. Which bring us to part two.

The general warm-up is divided into two parts:1.1. joint rotations1.2. aerobic activity

These two activities should be performed in the order specified above.

1.1. Joint Rotations

The general warm-up should begin with joint-rotations, starting either from your toes and working your way up, or from your fingers and working your way down. This facilitates joint motion by lubricating the entire joint with synovial fluid. Such lubrication permits your joints to function more easily when called upon to participate in your athletic activity. You should perform slow circular movements, both clockwise and counter-clockwise, until the joint seems to move smoothly. You should rotate the following (in the order given, or in the reverse order):

Fingers and knuckles, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, trunk/waist, hips, legs, knees, ankles and toes .

1.2. Aerobic Activity

After you have performed the joint rotations, you should engage in at least five minutes of aerobic activity such as jogging, jumping rope, or any other activity that will cause a similar increase in your cardiovascular output (i.e., get your blood pumping). The purpose of this is to raise your core body temperature and get your blood flowing. Increased blood flow in the muscles improves muscle performance and flexibility and reduces the likelihood of injury.

2. Warm-Up Stretching

The stretching phase of your warmup should consist of two parts: (image 2)

2.1 Static stretching

Static stretching is a very safe and effective form of basic stretching. There is a limited threat of injury and it is extremely beneficial for overall flexibility. During this part of the warm up, static stretching should include all the major muscle groups, and this entire part should last for about five to ten minutes. (image 3)

Slowly and cautiously the body is moved to increase the tension of the muscle, or group of muscles to be stretched. At this point the position is held or maintained to allow the muscles and tendons to lengthen.

Once the general warm-up has been completed, the muscles are warmer and more elastic. Immediately following your general warm-up, you should engage in some slow, relaxed, static stretching . You should start with your back, followed by your upper body and lower body, stretching your muscles in the following order:

Back, sides (external obliques), neck, forearms and wrists, triceps, chest, buttocks, groin (adductors), thighs (quadriceps and abductors), calves, shins, hamstrings and instep . (image 4)

2.2 Dynamic stretchingThis form of stretching

carries with it a high risk of injury if used incorrectly. It should really only be used under the supervision of a professional sports coach or trainer. Dynamic stretching is more for muscular conditioning than flexibility and is really only suited for professional, well trained, highly conditioned athletes. Dynamic stretching should only be used after a high level of general flexibility has been established.

Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to force a particular body part past its usual range of movement. The force of the bounce or swing is gradually increased but should never become radical or uncontrolled.

3. Sport specific warm up In this part, the athlete is specifically preparing their body for the demands of their particular sport. During this part of the warm up, more vigorous activity should be employed. Activities should reflect the type of movements and actions which will be required during the sporting event.

The last phase of a warm-up should consist of the same movements that will be used during the athletic event but at a reduced intensity. Such sport-specific activity is beneficial because it improves coordination, balance,

(image 5) strength, and response time, and may reduce the risk of injury.

How long to Warm Up?The individual athlete must become

responsible for assessing their own goals and adjusting their warm up accordingly.(image 6)

For instance, the time you commit to your warm up should be relative to your level of involvement in your particular sport. So, for people just looking to increase their general level of health and fitness, a minimum of five to ten minutes would be enough. However, if you are involved in high level competitive sport you need to dedicate adequate time and effort to a complete warm up.

Warming up should at least consist of the following:

5 to 10 minutes jogging - to increase body temperature 10 to 15 minutes static and dynamic stretching exercises - reduce

muscle stiffness 10 to 15 minutes general and event specific drills - preparation for the

session or competition. e.g. for a runner Lower leg drills, Leg drills,Technique drills

Warm-up Example

How to warm up muscles before exercising:

Slowly jog on the spot or walk for a few minutes. Rotate your joints slowly before performing the exercise Do some slow, static stretching of the muscles to be used during the

exercise. Do the activity you intend to perform, but complete it slowly with a lower

intensity level.

How to Warm Up before Running?Here are some of the warm up

exercises for running. (image 7)

Stretching exercises and techniques. Keep your feet together and bend down. Stretch your arms and try to touch your toes with your fingers. Continue holding this stretch for around 10-15 seconds.

Running and jogging both require good warm up exercises like brisk walking or slow jogging.

Cycling is another warm up exercise for running. You can do cycling on a stationary cycle or a bike.

Light aerobics exercises can also serve as warming up exercise. Aerobics for around 5 to10 minutes

While stretching and performing these warm up exercises you should not apply any kind of jerk to your body. (image 8)

Cool Down (image 9)

Cooling down, also called warming down, is the term used to describe an easy exercise that will allow the body to gradually transition from an exertional state to a resting or near-resting state.

Depending on the intensity of the exercise, cooling down can involve a slow jog or walk, or with lower intensities, stretching can be used. Cooling down helps remove lactic acid which can cause cramps and stiffnessand allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate. Contrary to popular belief, cool down does not appear to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness.

Why Cool Down?The main aim of the cool down is to promote recovery and return the

body to a pre exercise, or pre work out level. During a strenuous work out your body goes through a number of stressful processes. Muscle fibres, tendons and ligaments get damaged, and waste products build up within your body.

The cool down, performed properly, will assist your body in its repair process. One area the cool down will help with, is "post exercise muscle soreness." This is the soreness that is usually experienced the day after a tough work out. Most people experience this after having a lay-off from exercise, or at the beginning of their sports season. I remember running a half marathon with very little preparation, and finding it difficult to walk down steps the next day because my quadriceps were so sore. That discomfort is "post exercise muscle soreness." (image 10)

This soreness is caused by a number of things. Firstly, during exercise, tiny tears called micro tears develop within the muscle fibres. These micro tears cause swelling of the muscle tissues which in turn puts pressure on the nerve endings and results in pain.

Secondly, when exercising, your heart is pumping large amount of blood to the working muscles. This blood is carrying both oxygen and nutrients that the working muscles need. When the blood reaches the muscles the oxygen and nutrients are used up. Then the force of the contracting (exercising) muscles pushes the blood back to the heart where it is re-oxygenated.

However, when the exercise stops, so does the force that pushes the blood back to the heart. This blood, as well as waste products like lactic acid, stays in the muscles, which in turn causes swelling and pain. This process is often referred to as "blood pooling." (image 11)

So, the cool down helps all this by keeping the blood circulating, which in turn helps to prevent blood pooling and also removes waste products from the muscles. This circulating blood also brings with it the oxygen and nutrients needed by the muscles, tendons and ligaments for repair.

What are the benefits of a cool down?

An appropriate cool down will:

aid in the dissipation of waste products - including lactic acid reduce the potential for DOMS reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of

venous blood at the extremities reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate

What are the Parts of an Effective Cool DownNow we know what the cool down does and why it is so important, lets

have a look at the structure of an effective cool down. There are three key elements, or parts, which should be included to ensure an effective and complete cool down. They are;

1. Gentle exercise;2. Stretching; and3. Re-fuel.

All three parts are equally important and any one part should not be neglected or thought of as not necessary. All three elements work together to repair and replenish the body after exercise. (image 12)

How long to Cool Down?

The process of cooling down after exercise is just as important as warming up.

Cooling down should consist of the following:

5 to 10 minutes jogging/walking - decrease body temperature and remove waste products from the working muscles

5 to 10 minutes static stretching exercises

Static stretches are more appropriate to the cool down as they help muscles to relax, realign muscle fibres and re-establish their normal range of movement. These stretches should be held for approximately 10 seconds.

Cool Down Example : (image 13)

10 to 15 minutes of easy exercise. For example, if your workout involved a lot of running, cool down with easy jogging or walking.

Include some deep breathing as part of your easy exercise to help oxygenate your system.

Follow with about 20 to 30 minutes of stretching. Static stretching and PNF stretching is usually best.

Re-fuel. Both fluid and food are important. Drink plenty of water, plus a good quality sports drink. The best type of food to eat straight after a work out is that which is easily digestible. Fruit is a good example.

Referenceshttp://www.google.es/imghp?hl=es&tab=wihttp://www.flickr.com/search/?q=&l=cc&ct=0&mt=all&adv=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warming_uphttp://www.dictionary30.com/meaning/Warmuphttp://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/warm-up.phphttp://www.brianmac.co.uk/warmup.htmhttp://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/wupcdwn.htmhttp://www.teachingideas.co.uk/pe/contents.htmhttp://www.allsportmedical.co.uk/first-aid-guides/Warm-Up-Cool-Down.aspxImagesImage 1 http://dw2lose.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/hip-flex-stretching.jpgImage 2 http://www.coachr.org/fitnes7.jpgImage 3 http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1149/944089874_898e61049a.jpgImage4http://static.guim.co.uk/sysImages/Football/Pix/pictures/2010/7/1/1277979051633/Lukas-Podolski-and-Mesut--006.jpgImage 5 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/16/22351699_0687480945_m.jpgImage 6 http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKfa4J4H2QgOHyZCUf7cfPDUqIyQ7Rjl-4wF9rtBQj6WdxN-p8Q&t=1Image7http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3DlmK79www-Mnyn2XwGAdbip6rIPt_oEhftu-OuuAdK20VpPaImage 8 http://www.health24.com/images/zones/graphic_stretches.jpgImage 9 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2235/4365614561_91cc9d97d2_m.jpgImage 10 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2235/4365614561_91cc9d97d2_m.jpgImage 11 http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4532657534_64dfa63736_m.jpgImage 12 http://www.abc-of-fitness.com/images/pics/warm-up-cool-down.jpgImage13http://t3.gstatic.com/imagesq=tbn:ANd9GcSxXhuiZHZ2ObFrE77tg2gSW1uBtt1xy5nl1EjGY_YEDGS6Q1Note: This material was prepared by Victor E. Rodrguez Rodrguez for the Bilingual Section of Physical Education (English) of the IES. A Gua, Vigo. I used images from of http://www.flickr.com/ and http://www.google.es/imghp?hl=es&tab=wi sites, and in all the images I have added their reference. In this work, I have also included portions of the text of the different sites, which are reflected in the bibliography at the end of the text . This material was elaborated for exclusively educational purposes and non-commercial uses. Nota: Este material foi elaborado por Vctor E. Rodrguez Rodrguez para a Seccin Bilinge deEducacin Fsica (ingls) do IES. A Gua de Vigo. Utilice imxenes de lugares web (http://www.flickr.com/ e http://www.google.es/imghp?hl=es&tab=wi ) e en todas elas engadn a sa referencia. Neste traballo, tamn inclun porcins de texto de diferentes pxinas web, reflectidas na bibliografa ao final do texto. Este material foi elaborado con fins exclusivamente didcticos e sen uso comercial.

What are the benefits of a warm up?Performance may be improved as an appropriate warm up will result in an: Increased speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles. Dynamic exercises reduce muscle stiffness. Greater economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles. Facilitated oxygen utilization by warmed muscles because hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures. Facilitated nerve transmission and muscle metabolism at higher temperatures; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent all out activity. Increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscle temperatures.1.1. Joint Rotations1.2. Aerobic Activity 2. Warm-Up StretchingHow to warm up muscles before exercising:

What are the benefits of a cool down?