One of the most common mistakes that people commit when doing their workouts is neglecting two important stages: warm-up before the workout and cool-down after the session. All of your workouts should start with a warm-up and end with a cool down to help you prepare for the exercise sessions and to also help you recover from your workout.

What are the benefits of warm-up?

Warming up increases your blood vessels so that your muscles are supplied with enough oxygen before performing vigorous activities. A warm-up can also raise your muscle temperature for optimal efficiency and flexibility. When doing a warm-up, your heart rate slowly increases which can minimize stress when you begin your workout.

What are the benefits of cool down?

When you suddenly stop from working out, you might feel a little dizzy as your heart rate and blood pressure rapidly drop. This is why a cool-down is advisable in the post-workout process because when you wind down you allow your heart rate and blood pressure to fall gradually. It can also decrease joint or muscle soreness while promoting relaxation in both physical and mental aspects.

There are many ways to do a proper warm-up and cool down exercises which depend on the type of workout you’ll be performing. Here are the steps for basic warm-up and cool down exercises:

Warm-up exercises

One of the warm-ups you could do is Dynamic stretching which involves moving as you stretch. It is ideal as a warm-up routine because it stimulates your muscles and enhances its performance and power. Here are more steps to do a proper warm-up exercise:

Loosen up your muscles by doing a 5-10-minute light aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling on a stationary bike. Make sure that you start slowly.

Perform dynamic stretching by doing walking lunges, jumping jacks, or opposite toe touches. This can help you engage muscles in different body areas as it is a total body warm-up. More dynamic warm-ups that you could try are lunge with a twist, knee to chest, high kicks, hip stretch with a twist, and jump squats.

Slowly increase your heart rate by doing a slow jog at first and then gradually build up your speed. Jogging and running can help you stabilize your breathing so that you can perform better on your main workout.

You can search for a more 5-10-minute warm-up routine that will suit you the best.

Cool down exercises

A lot of people tend to skip the cooling down process especially when they’re tired after the exercise session. Cooling down does not have to be strenuous. After finishing your workout, cool down by walking or slowly jogging for 5-10 minutes as well. Your breathing and heart rate should steadily return to normal. It’s also important to drink water to replenish yourself and avoid dehydration.

Common post-workout stretches include:

arms and abs stretch

triceps stretch

hip and back stretch

low lunge stretch

hamstring stretch

quad stretch

calf stretch

butterfly stretch

Here are a few tips on how to properly stretch:

Hold still for 15 to 30 seconds. Avoid unnecessary bounces and other movements during your stretch.

If you feel any pain or tightness, you shouldn’t push through muscle resistance. Start slowly and gently to feel less tension, and then you can increase the stretch until you feel the same slight pull.

Stretch both sides of the body. For instance, don’t just stretch your left arm just because you only feel the tightness on that side.

Take deep breaths.

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