How important is a cool down?

layman Terms: warm up..exercise....cool down.

It gives your heart and breathing a chance to return to its normal rhythm /rate. Moreover, it helps to prevent blood pooling.

Example: After an exercise some folks wonder why they become nauseated and or dizzy. Most likely blood pooling due to lack of cool down. The blood fails to circulate back to the brain. Cool down times are based on the individual and there a various recommendations. Some basic guidelines state to get within 20-30 beats of normal. I for one need to get my heart rate 90 or below before I feel comfortable. Something as simple as doing a hardcore 5k, walking up to your bathroom as a cool down, and standing in the shower can cause blood pooling.

Then there is stretching. As per ACE fitness;

Top Ten Reasons to help your clients remember why they should stretch:

1. Decreases muscle stiffness and increases range of motion. Stretching helps improve your range of motion which may also slow the degeneration of the joints.

    

2. May reduce your risk of injury. A flexible muscle is less likely to become injured from a slightly extensive movement. By increasing the range of motion in a particular joint through stretching, you may decrease the resistance on your muscles during various activities.

    

3. Helps relieve post-exercise aches and pains. After a hard workout, stretching the muscles will keep them loose and lessen a shortening and tightening effect that can lead to post-workout aches and pains.

    

4. Improves posture. Stretching the muscles of the lower back, shoulders and chest will help keep your back in better alignment and improve your posture.

    

5. Helps reduce or manage stress. Well stretched muscles hold less tension and therefore, leave you feeling less stressed.

    

6. Reduces muscular tension and enhances muscular relaxation. Stretching allows the muscles to relax. Habitually tense muscles tend to cut off their own circulation resulting in a lack of oxygen and essential nutrients.

    

7. Improves mechanical efficiency and overall functional performance. Since a flexible joint requires less energy to move through a wider range of motion, a flexible body improves overall performance by creating more energy-efficient movements.

    

8. Prepares the body for the stress of exercise. Stretching prior to exercise allows the muscles to loosen up and become resistant to the impact they are about to undergo.

    

9. Promotes circulation. Stretching increases blood supply to the muscles and joints which allow for greater nutrient transportation and improves the circulation of blood through the entire body.

    

10. Decreases the risk of low-back pain. Flexibility in the hamstrings, hip flexors and muscles attached to the pelvis relieves stress on the lumbar spine which in turn reduces the risk of low-back pain.

For Me, Regardless of the endurance exercise, I have found that walking a casual mile afterwards is the best cool down. Then I stretch. It also gives my mind a chance to reflect on the workout. In the winter, even after doing a few cool down laps in the pool, I will do a turtle crawl mile on the treadmill before heading home. Think of it as a mini-brick. The more I give my body a chance to recover properly the better I feel next go around.

Best of Luck