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Best Cool Down Exercises After Workout to Boost Recovery
Best Cool Down Exercises After Workout to Boost Recovery
Nov 8, 2024
When you have a busy schedule or lack the time and energy to work out, it can be tempting to skip doing cool-down exercises. However, as personal trainers concerned for your safety, we will always encourage you to incorporate cool-down exercises at the end of each workout routine to help your body recover, preventing and reducing soreness. In the same way, we’d remind you to warm up your body with stretches or light exercises to wake up your muscles, allowing you to practise proper form to minimise strain or injury.
To help you understand the importance of cooling down, we’ve listed how it benefits your health and why it’s key to a holistic and effective approach to fitness. We've also included examples of the best cool-down exercises after workouts you can try at home or in a private gym, giving you no excuse not to do them.
Benefits of Cool-Down Exercises
Exercise makes us healthier and stronger by challenging our bodies to perform a series of movements that increase our heart rate and develop muscles. We must also remember that cool-down exercises are crucial for our bodies to recover, allowing us to safely transition from an intense workout to a more relaxed state.
The benefits of cool-down exercises after a workout include and are not limited to the following:
Slows down heart rate from a high-intensity or cardio workout
Lessens the risk of nausea, heart attack, strokes, or kidney failure due to the abrupt stop of muscle contractions.
Reduces lactic acid buildup that can lead to muscle soreness or fatigue
Regulates blood flow to and from the heart and the rest of your body.
Lengthens the body, releasing tension and preventing muscle stiffness or cramps
Ensures the circulation of oxygen and other essential nutrients to all parts of the body
8 Cool Down Exercises For All Workouts
Here are examples of the best cool-down exercises that help facilitate post-workout recovery, whether at home or in the gym. Plus, tips on how to practise proper exercise form according to Alchemy personal trainers in Wilmslow.
1. Light Jog and Walk
Light jogging followed by brisk walking are efficient cool-down exercises that help relax all the muscles in your body while slowing down your heart rate, allowing you to catch your breath. This combo is especially ideal after high-intensity or high-impact workout routines, like those involving jumping, plyometrics, or multiple reps.
Lightly jog for 3 to 5 minutes.
Brisk walk for the same amount of time, 3 to 5 minutes
2. World’s Greatest Stretch
The world’s greatest stretch is one of the most effective cool-down exercises that can target all the major muscle groups of the body in just one dynamic move. It is a combination of a lunge, plank, and twist that lengthens and flexes your glutes, core, chest, back, and legs while strengthening your joints, such as your hips, knees, and ankles, reinforcing proper spinal alignment and stability. Moreover, it’s a great stretch to release tension in the body, especially after a whole day of sitting.
Start in a wide plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart and both palms flat on the floor.
Proceed to a deep lunge position, stepping one foot forward outside your hand with the front knee bent at a 90-degree angle and aligned with your ankle.
Lift your hand on the same side as the foot you have forward towards the sky or the ceiling, gently twisting your spine while keeping your hips and knees straight.
Put your hand down and repeat the steps on the opposite side.
You can alternate between sides for 30 seconds or do a set number of reps for each side.
3. Supine Spinal Twist
The supine spinal twist is a popular yoga pose that lengthens your spine, shoulders, and neck. It’s an ideal stretching exercise for cool-down as it helps release muscle tension, preventing stiffness while improving your body’s flexibility. Moreover, it relaxes the mind and body.
Lie down on your back with your arms and legs extended to the sides.
Raise one knee to the chest, keeping the other leg straight and extended on the floor.
Gently press the knee on your chest towards the floor on the opposite side, crossing over your extended leg.
Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths before switching sides.
4. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneeling hip flexor stretches are ideal for cyclists and runners. They’re also suitable stretching exercises for cool-down after lower body strength training sessions involving your hips, groin, and quads.
Kneel on a mat or the ground.
Lunge one foot forward, creating a right angle with your knee aligned to your hip and ankle on the same side.
Gently push your hip forward, lengthening the leg with the planted knee
If you have a bench, you can plant both your hands on it for support as you press one heel to your butt and arch your back upwards.
5. Standing Chest Opener
Standing chest openers are cool-down exercises that stretch and expand your pectoral and shoulder muscles.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
Look straight ahead and open your arms wide to either side
Extend your arms towards the back of your shoulders until you feel the stretch across your chest and anterior deltoids
6. Knees to Chest
Knees-to-chest is another yoga pose and stretching exercise for cool-down. It helps relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by stretching the lower back, hips, and pelvic floor, preventing stiffness, strain, and pain after a workout, including herniated discs.
Lie on your back
Bring both knees to your chest, pressing it lightly with your hands interlaced on your shins.
You have the option to ask a friend or personal trainer to gently press your knees toward your chest.
Hold this position for around 1 minute
7. Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is a relaxing stretch that releases tension from your back, hips, and shoulders. It could be one of the calming cool-down exercises you do after an intense or strenuous workout.
Start with a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor.
Slowly sink back to sit on your heels, keeping your arms stretched away from your body.
Rest your forehead on the floor
Hold this pose for 1 to 3 minutes
8. Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is a yoga pose and a cool-down exercise that allows you to stretch your leg muscles as much as it lengthens your back, shoulders, and arms.
From a plank position, raise your hips and back towards the ceiling while keeping your spine in alignment.
Ensure that both hands are pressed firmly on the ground and your weight is evenly distributed–not leaning towards one side of the body.
Pedal out your legs by lifting one heel at a time.
Hold this pose for 1 minute or until you catch your breath.
How Foam Rollers Help You Cool Down and Increase Muscle Recovery
A foam roller is an effective tool that can be incorporated into cool-down exercises, contributing to muscle recovery. Foam rolling can release muscle tension in various lower body parts, including the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and outer thighs, reducing stiffness, tightness, or soreness after working out. It also stimulates blood flow and circulation in the body and improves flexibility and mobility.
Where you place the cylindrical foam and how you roll over it will depend on the cool-down exercises and the muscle group you’re targeting. Generally, foam rollers are intended to gently massage and relax muscle tissues, so you should avoid rolling over joints and bony areas. Be mindful of your exercise form, especially around the spine, lower back, and neck.
Final Thoughts on the Importance of Cool Down Exercises
Cool-down exercises are a vital part of all fitness routines–integral to achieving a well-rounded and efficient workout or training session at home or in the gym. We hope the benefits we listed above were more than enough to convince you to be consistent at cooling down after a workout. You can also start doing the simple stretching exercises for cool-down we suggested, which can boost muscle recovery and reduce soreness, stiffness, or injury.
As personal trainers, we help you achieve fitness and body transformation goals by creating personalised training programmes tailored to your fitness level and desired results. This includes advising you on the most effective cool-down exercises for each training session.
Contact us at Alchemy Personal Training in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, for more information on how we can help you combine cardio and strength training properly and choose the best cool-down exercises for each type of workout.
When you have a busy schedule or lack the time and energy to work out, it can be tempting to skip doing cool-down exercises. However, as personal trainers concerned for your safety, we will always encourage you to incorporate cool-down exercises at the end of each workout routine to help your body recover, preventing and reducing soreness. In the same way, we’d remind you to warm up your body with stretches or light exercises to wake up your muscles, allowing you to practise proper form to minimise strain or injury.
To help you understand the importance of cooling down, we’ve listed how it benefits your health and why it’s key to a holistic and effective approach to fitness. We've also included examples of the best cool-down exercises after workouts you can try at home or in a private gym, giving you no excuse not to do them.
Benefits of Cool-Down Exercises
Exercise makes us healthier and stronger by challenging our bodies to perform a series of movements that increase our heart rate and develop muscles. We must also remember that cool-down exercises are crucial for our bodies to recover, allowing us to safely transition from an intense workout to a more relaxed state.
The benefits of cool-down exercises after a workout include and are not limited to the following:
Slows down heart rate from a high-intensity or cardio workout
Lessens the risk of nausea, heart attack, strokes, or kidney failure due to the abrupt stop of muscle contractions.
Reduces lactic acid buildup that can lead to muscle soreness or fatigue
Regulates blood flow to and from the heart and the rest of your body.
Lengthens the body, releasing tension and preventing muscle stiffness or cramps
Ensures the circulation of oxygen and other essential nutrients to all parts of the body
8 Cool Down Exercises For All Workouts
Here are examples of the best cool-down exercises that help facilitate post-workout recovery, whether at home or in the gym. Plus, tips on how to practise proper exercise form according to Alchemy personal trainers in Wilmslow.
1. Light Jog and Walk
Light jogging followed by brisk walking are efficient cool-down exercises that help relax all the muscles in your body while slowing down your heart rate, allowing you to catch your breath. This combo is especially ideal after high-intensity or high-impact workout routines, like those involving jumping, plyometrics, or multiple reps.
Lightly jog for 3 to 5 minutes.
Brisk walk for the same amount of time, 3 to 5 minutes
2. World’s Greatest Stretch
The world’s greatest stretch is one of the most effective cool-down exercises that can target all the major muscle groups of the body in just one dynamic move. It is a combination of a lunge, plank, and twist that lengthens and flexes your glutes, core, chest, back, and legs while strengthening your joints, such as your hips, knees, and ankles, reinforcing proper spinal alignment and stability. Moreover, it’s a great stretch to release tension in the body, especially after a whole day of sitting.
Start in a wide plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart and both palms flat on the floor.
Proceed to a deep lunge position, stepping one foot forward outside your hand with the front knee bent at a 90-degree angle and aligned with your ankle.
Lift your hand on the same side as the foot you have forward towards the sky or the ceiling, gently twisting your spine while keeping your hips and knees straight.
Put your hand down and repeat the steps on the opposite side.
You can alternate between sides for 30 seconds or do a set number of reps for each side.
3. Supine Spinal Twist
The supine spinal twist is a popular yoga pose that lengthens your spine, shoulders, and neck. It’s an ideal stretching exercise for cool-down as it helps release muscle tension, preventing stiffness while improving your body’s flexibility. Moreover, it relaxes the mind and body.
Lie down on your back with your arms and legs extended to the sides.
Raise one knee to the chest, keeping the other leg straight and extended on the floor.
Gently press the knee on your chest towards the floor on the opposite side, crossing over your extended leg.
Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths before switching sides.
4. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneeling hip flexor stretches are ideal for cyclists and runners. They’re also suitable stretching exercises for cool-down after lower body strength training sessions involving your hips, groin, and quads.
Kneel on a mat or the ground.
Lunge one foot forward, creating a right angle with your knee aligned to your hip and ankle on the same side.
Gently push your hip forward, lengthening the leg with the planted knee
If you have a bench, you can plant both your hands on it for support as you press one heel to your butt and arch your back upwards.
5. Standing Chest Opener
Standing chest openers are cool-down exercises that stretch and expand your pectoral and shoulder muscles.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
Look straight ahead and open your arms wide to either side
Extend your arms towards the back of your shoulders until you feel the stretch across your chest and anterior deltoids
6. Knees to Chest
Knees-to-chest is another yoga pose and stretching exercise for cool-down. It helps relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by stretching the lower back, hips, and pelvic floor, preventing stiffness, strain, and pain after a workout, including herniated discs.
Lie on your back
Bring both knees to your chest, pressing it lightly with your hands interlaced on your shins.
You have the option to ask a friend or personal trainer to gently press your knees toward your chest.
Hold this position for around 1 minute
7. Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is a relaxing stretch that releases tension from your back, hips, and shoulders. It could be one of the calming cool-down exercises you do after an intense or strenuous workout.
Start with a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor.
Slowly sink back to sit on your heels, keeping your arms stretched away from your body.
Rest your forehead on the floor
Hold this pose for 1 to 3 minutes
8. Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is a yoga pose and a cool-down exercise that allows you to stretch your leg muscles as much as it lengthens your back, shoulders, and arms.
From a plank position, raise your hips and back towards the ceiling while keeping your spine in alignment.
Ensure that both hands are pressed firmly on the ground and your weight is evenly distributed–not leaning towards one side of the body.
Pedal out your legs by lifting one heel at a time.
Hold this pose for 1 minute or until you catch your breath.
How Foam Rollers Help You Cool Down and Increase Muscle Recovery
A foam roller is an effective tool that can be incorporated into cool-down exercises, contributing to muscle recovery. Foam rolling can release muscle tension in various lower body parts, including the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and outer thighs, reducing stiffness, tightness, or soreness after working out. It also stimulates blood flow and circulation in the body and improves flexibility and mobility.
Where you place the cylindrical foam and how you roll over it will depend on the cool-down exercises and the muscle group you’re targeting. Generally, foam rollers are intended to gently massage and relax muscle tissues, so you should avoid rolling over joints and bony areas. Be mindful of your exercise form, especially around the spine, lower back, and neck.
Final Thoughts on the Importance of Cool Down Exercises
Cool-down exercises are a vital part of all fitness routines–integral to achieving a well-rounded and efficient workout or training session at home or in the gym. We hope the benefits we listed above were more than enough to convince you to be consistent at cooling down after a workout. You can also start doing the simple stretching exercises for cool-down we suggested, which can boost muscle recovery and reduce soreness, stiffness, or injury.
As personal trainers, we help you achieve fitness and body transformation goals by creating personalised training programmes tailored to your fitness level and desired results. This includes advising you on the most effective cool-down exercises for each training session.
Contact us at Alchemy Personal Training in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, for more information on how we can help you combine cardio and strength training properly and choose the best cool-down exercises for each type of workout.
When you have a busy schedule or lack the time and energy to work out, it can be tempting to skip doing cool-down exercises. However, as personal trainers concerned for your safety, we will always encourage you to incorporate cool-down exercises at the end of each workout routine to help your body recover, preventing and reducing soreness. In the same way, we’d remind you to warm up your body with stretches or light exercises to wake up your muscles, allowing you to practise proper form to minimise strain or injury.
To help you understand the importance of cooling down, we’ve listed how it benefits your health and why it’s key to a holistic and effective approach to fitness. We've also included examples of the best cool-down exercises after workouts you can try at home or in a private gym, giving you no excuse not to do them.
Benefits of Cool-Down Exercises
Exercise makes us healthier and stronger by challenging our bodies to perform a series of movements that increase our heart rate and develop muscles. We must also remember that cool-down exercises are crucial for our bodies to recover, allowing us to safely transition from an intense workout to a more relaxed state.
The benefits of cool-down exercises after a workout include and are not limited to the following:
Slows down heart rate from a high-intensity or cardio workout
Lessens the risk of nausea, heart attack, strokes, or kidney failure due to the abrupt stop of muscle contractions.
Reduces lactic acid buildup that can lead to muscle soreness or fatigue
Regulates blood flow to and from the heart and the rest of your body.
Lengthens the body, releasing tension and preventing muscle stiffness or cramps
Ensures the circulation of oxygen and other essential nutrients to all parts of the body
8 Cool Down Exercises For All Workouts
Here are examples of the best cool-down exercises that help facilitate post-workout recovery, whether at home or in the gym. Plus, tips on how to practise proper exercise form according to Alchemy personal trainers in Wilmslow.
1. Light Jog and Walk
Light jogging followed by brisk walking are efficient cool-down exercises that help relax all the muscles in your body while slowing down your heart rate, allowing you to catch your breath. This combo is especially ideal after high-intensity or high-impact workout routines, like those involving jumping, plyometrics, or multiple reps.
Lightly jog for 3 to 5 minutes.
Brisk walk for the same amount of time, 3 to 5 minutes
2. World’s Greatest Stretch
The world’s greatest stretch is one of the most effective cool-down exercises that can target all the major muscle groups of the body in just one dynamic move. It is a combination of a lunge, plank, and twist that lengthens and flexes your glutes, core, chest, back, and legs while strengthening your joints, such as your hips, knees, and ankles, reinforcing proper spinal alignment and stability. Moreover, it’s a great stretch to release tension in the body, especially after a whole day of sitting.
Start in a wide plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart and both palms flat on the floor.
Proceed to a deep lunge position, stepping one foot forward outside your hand with the front knee bent at a 90-degree angle and aligned with your ankle.
Lift your hand on the same side as the foot you have forward towards the sky or the ceiling, gently twisting your spine while keeping your hips and knees straight.
Put your hand down and repeat the steps on the opposite side.
You can alternate between sides for 30 seconds or do a set number of reps for each side.
3. Supine Spinal Twist
The supine spinal twist is a popular yoga pose that lengthens your spine, shoulders, and neck. It’s an ideal stretching exercise for cool-down as it helps release muscle tension, preventing stiffness while improving your body’s flexibility. Moreover, it relaxes the mind and body.
Lie down on your back with your arms and legs extended to the sides.
Raise one knee to the chest, keeping the other leg straight and extended on the floor.
Gently press the knee on your chest towards the floor on the opposite side, crossing over your extended leg.
Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths before switching sides.
4. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneeling hip flexor stretches are ideal for cyclists and runners. They’re also suitable stretching exercises for cool-down after lower body strength training sessions involving your hips, groin, and quads.
Kneel on a mat or the ground.
Lunge one foot forward, creating a right angle with your knee aligned to your hip and ankle on the same side.
Gently push your hip forward, lengthening the leg with the planted knee
If you have a bench, you can plant both your hands on it for support as you press one heel to your butt and arch your back upwards.
5. Standing Chest Opener
Standing chest openers are cool-down exercises that stretch and expand your pectoral and shoulder muscles.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
Look straight ahead and open your arms wide to either side
Extend your arms towards the back of your shoulders until you feel the stretch across your chest and anterior deltoids
6. Knees to Chest
Knees-to-chest is another yoga pose and stretching exercise for cool-down. It helps relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by stretching the lower back, hips, and pelvic floor, preventing stiffness, strain, and pain after a workout, including herniated discs.
Lie on your back
Bring both knees to your chest, pressing it lightly with your hands interlaced on your shins.
You have the option to ask a friend or personal trainer to gently press your knees toward your chest.
Hold this position for around 1 minute
7. Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is a relaxing stretch that releases tension from your back, hips, and shoulders. It could be one of the calming cool-down exercises you do after an intense or strenuous workout.
Start with a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor.
Slowly sink back to sit on your heels, keeping your arms stretched away from your body.
Rest your forehead on the floor
Hold this pose for 1 to 3 minutes
8. Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is a yoga pose and a cool-down exercise that allows you to stretch your leg muscles as much as it lengthens your back, shoulders, and arms.
From a plank position, raise your hips and back towards the ceiling while keeping your spine in alignment.
Ensure that both hands are pressed firmly on the ground and your weight is evenly distributed–not leaning towards one side of the body.
Pedal out your legs by lifting one heel at a time.
Hold this pose for 1 minute or until you catch your breath.
How Foam Rollers Help You Cool Down and Increase Muscle Recovery
A foam roller is an effective tool that can be incorporated into cool-down exercises, contributing to muscle recovery. Foam rolling can release muscle tension in various lower body parts, including the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and outer thighs, reducing stiffness, tightness, or soreness after working out. It also stimulates blood flow and circulation in the body and improves flexibility and mobility.
Where you place the cylindrical foam and how you roll over it will depend on the cool-down exercises and the muscle group you’re targeting. Generally, foam rollers are intended to gently massage and relax muscle tissues, so you should avoid rolling over joints and bony areas. Be mindful of your exercise form, especially around the spine, lower back, and neck.
Final Thoughts on the Importance of Cool Down Exercises
Cool-down exercises are a vital part of all fitness routines–integral to achieving a well-rounded and efficient workout or training session at home or in the gym. We hope the benefits we listed above were more than enough to convince you to be consistent at cooling down after a workout. You can also start doing the simple stretching exercises for cool-down we suggested, which can boost muscle recovery and reduce soreness, stiffness, or injury.
As personal trainers, we help you achieve fitness and body transformation goals by creating personalised training programmes tailored to your fitness level and desired results. This includes advising you on the most effective cool-down exercises for each training session.
Contact us at Alchemy Personal Training in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, for more information on how we can help you combine cardio and strength training properly and choose the best cool-down exercises for each type of workout.
When you have a busy schedule or lack the time and energy to work out, it can be tempting to skip doing cool-down exercises. However, as personal trainers concerned for your safety, we will always encourage you to incorporate cool-down exercises at the end of each workout routine to help your body recover, preventing and reducing soreness. In the same way, we’d remind you to warm up your body with stretches or light exercises to wake up your muscles, allowing you to practise proper form to minimise strain or injury.
To help you understand the importance of cooling down, we’ve listed how it benefits your health and why it’s key to a holistic and effective approach to fitness. We've also included examples of the best cool-down exercises after workouts you can try at home or in a private gym, giving you no excuse not to do them.
Benefits of Cool-Down Exercises
Exercise makes us healthier and stronger by challenging our bodies to perform a series of movements that increase our heart rate and develop muscles. We must also remember that cool-down exercises are crucial for our bodies to recover, allowing us to safely transition from an intense workout to a more relaxed state.
The benefits of cool-down exercises after a workout include and are not limited to the following:
Slows down heart rate from a high-intensity or cardio workout
Lessens the risk of nausea, heart attack, strokes, or kidney failure due to the abrupt stop of muscle contractions.
Reduces lactic acid buildup that can lead to muscle soreness or fatigue
Regulates blood flow to and from the heart and the rest of your body.
Lengthens the body, releasing tension and preventing muscle stiffness or cramps
Ensures the circulation of oxygen and other essential nutrients to all parts of the body
8 Cool Down Exercises For All Workouts
Here are examples of the best cool-down exercises that help facilitate post-workout recovery, whether at home or in the gym. Plus, tips on how to practise proper exercise form according to Alchemy personal trainers in Wilmslow.
1. Light Jog and Walk
Light jogging followed by brisk walking are efficient cool-down exercises that help relax all the muscles in your body while slowing down your heart rate, allowing you to catch your breath. This combo is especially ideal after high-intensity or high-impact workout routines, like those involving jumping, plyometrics, or multiple reps.
Lightly jog for 3 to 5 minutes.
Brisk walk for the same amount of time, 3 to 5 minutes
2. World’s Greatest Stretch
The world’s greatest stretch is one of the most effective cool-down exercises that can target all the major muscle groups of the body in just one dynamic move. It is a combination of a lunge, plank, and twist that lengthens and flexes your glutes, core, chest, back, and legs while strengthening your joints, such as your hips, knees, and ankles, reinforcing proper spinal alignment and stability. Moreover, it’s a great stretch to release tension in the body, especially after a whole day of sitting.
Start in a wide plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart and both palms flat on the floor.
Proceed to a deep lunge position, stepping one foot forward outside your hand with the front knee bent at a 90-degree angle and aligned with your ankle.
Lift your hand on the same side as the foot you have forward towards the sky or the ceiling, gently twisting your spine while keeping your hips and knees straight.
Put your hand down and repeat the steps on the opposite side.
You can alternate between sides for 30 seconds or do a set number of reps for each side.
3. Supine Spinal Twist
The supine spinal twist is a popular yoga pose that lengthens your spine, shoulders, and neck. It’s an ideal stretching exercise for cool-down as it helps release muscle tension, preventing stiffness while improving your body’s flexibility. Moreover, it relaxes the mind and body.
Lie down on your back with your arms and legs extended to the sides.
Raise one knee to the chest, keeping the other leg straight and extended on the floor.
Gently press the knee on your chest towards the floor on the opposite side, crossing over your extended leg.
Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths before switching sides.
4. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneeling hip flexor stretches are ideal for cyclists and runners. They’re also suitable stretching exercises for cool-down after lower body strength training sessions involving your hips, groin, and quads.
Kneel on a mat or the ground.
Lunge one foot forward, creating a right angle with your knee aligned to your hip and ankle on the same side.
Gently push your hip forward, lengthening the leg with the planted knee
If you have a bench, you can plant both your hands on it for support as you press one heel to your butt and arch your back upwards.
5. Standing Chest Opener
Standing chest openers are cool-down exercises that stretch and expand your pectoral and shoulder muscles.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
Look straight ahead and open your arms wide to either side
Extend your arms towards the back of your shoulders until you feel the stretch across your chest and anterior deltoids
6. Knees to Chest
Knees-to-chest is another yoga pose and stretching exercise for cool-down. It helps relieve pressure on the spinal nerves by stretching the lower back, hips, and pelvic floor, preventing stiffness, strain, and pain after a workout, including herniated discs.
Lie on your back
Bring both knees to your chest, pressing it lightly with your hands interlaced on your shins.
You have the option to ask a friend or personal trainer to gently press your knees toward your chest.
Hold this position for around 1 minute
7. Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is a relaxing stretch that releases tension from your back, hips, and shoulders. It could be one of the calming cool-down exercises you do after an intense or strenuous workout.
Start with a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor.
Slowly sink back to sit on your heels, keeping your arms stretched away from your body.
Rest your forehead on the floor
Hold this pose for 1 to 3 minutes
8. Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is a yoga pose and a cool-down exercise that allows you to stretch your leg muscles as much as it lengthens your back, shoulders, and arms.
From a plank position, raise your hips and back towards the ceiling while keeping your spine in alignment.
Ensure that both hands are pressed firmly on the ground and your weight is evenly distributed–not leaning towards one side of the body.
Pedal out your legs by lifting one heel at a time.
Hold this pose for 1 minute or until you catch your breath.
How Foam Rollers Help You Cool Down and Increase Muscle Recovery
A foam roller is an effective tool that can be incorporated into cool-down exercises, contributing to muscle recovery. Foam rolling can release muscle tension in various lower body parts, including the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and outer thighs, reducing stiffness, tightness, or soreness after working out. It also stimulates blood flow and circulation in the body and improves flexibility and mobility.
Where you place the cylindrical foam and how you roll over it will depend on the cool-down exercises and the muscle group you’re targeting. Generally, foam rollers are intended to gently massage and relax muscle tissues, so you should avoid rolling over joints and bony areas. Be mindful of your exercise form, especially around the spine, lower back, and neck.
Final Thoughts on the Importance of Cool Down Exercises
Cool-down exercises are a vital part of all fitness routines–integral to achieving a well-rounded and efficient workout or training session at home or in the gym. We hope the benefits we listed above were more than enough to convince you to be consistent at cooling down after a workout. You can also start doing the simple stretching exercises for cool-down we suggested, which can boost muscle recovery and reduce soreness, stiffness, or injury.
As personal trainers, we help you achieve fitness and body transformation goals by creating personalised training programmes tailored to your fitness level and desired results. This includes advising you on the most effective cool-down exercises for each training session.
Contact us at Alchemy Personal Training in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, for more information on how we can help you combine cardio and strength training properly and choose the best cool-down exercises for each type of workout.
Alchemy PT are UK’s number one personal trainers. Situated in central Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, Cheshire, we have over 2,000 square feet of space for our Personal Training Studio.
WhatsApp Us
Alchemy - © Copyright 2024
Website by ARENA
Alchemy PT are UK’s number one personal trainers. Situated in central Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, Cheshire, we have over 2,000 square feet of space for our Personal Training Studio.
WhatsApp Us
Alchemy - © Copyright 2024
Website by ARENA
Alchemy PT are UK’s number one personal trainers. Situated in central Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, Cheshire, we have over 2,000 square feet of space for our Personal Training Studio.
WhatsApp Us
Alchemy - © Copyright 2024
Website by ARENA
Alchemy PT are UK’s number one personal trainers. Situated in central Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, Cheshire, we have over 2,000 square feet of space for our Personal Training Studio.
WhatsApp Us
Alchemy - © Copyright 2024
Website by ARENA