Health Fitness

The importance of heating and cooling

One of the most important factors in injury prevention is warming up and cooling down, and it should not be neglected.

Warm-up refers to a preparatory phase at the beginning of an exercise session. The warm-up generally involves a period of low-impact exercise regimens that prepare the body for the more strenuous aspects of sports activity. Warming up is an important aspect of exercise to reduce the risk of injury that may occur from overstretching without the person being physically warmed up and ready for exercise.

Cool down refers to a short period at the end of an exercise session. The cool-down phase, again, tends to involve a short period of low-impact exercise that gradually returns the body to its “resting state.” The cool down phase is believed to reduce the risk of muscle soreness that can occur the day after an exercise session and to reduce the risk of fainting or collapsing after the exercise session.

The warm-up session

An exercise session should always begin with a warm-up period. In some cases it may take the form of a series of specially designed preparatory exercises, while in other sessions it will simply involve performing the activity at a low density before increasing the intensity to the desired level. The warm-up period is important for the following reasons:

  • Prepares the body for the physical exertion that follows. This optimizes physical condition, allowing the body to cope more easily with activity. It also allows the athlete to get the maximum benefit from the session.
  • If the warm-up session has specific movements related to sports activity, the muscles can be re-educated in preparation for the next activities.
  • It reduces the risk of injury (cold muscles do not stretch very easily) and reduces the risk of premature fatigue that can occur if the cardiovascular system is not prepared for intense activity.
  • Prepares heart function for increased activity and reduces the risk of stress on the heart.

A typical warm-up may involve some “relaxation exercises” followed by a few minutes of low-impact aerobic activity and then a series of stretching exercises. This can last approximately five to fifteen minutes, depending on the intensity of the session that follows. Relaxation exercises at the beginning of the warm-up may include activities such as “stretching” and “running on the spot.” These are gentle activities that begin to prepare the body for exercise and are especially important if the athlete has been inactive for a while.

Aerobic exercise can include activities like cycling on an exercise bike. This has the effect of increasing the heart rate, diverting blood to the working muscles, and raising the overall temperature of the muscles.

Stretching exercises provide the final phase of the warm-up and ensure that the muscles and tendons are ready for the exercise. An important reason for stretching exercises is to prevent the muscles and tendons from being overstretched during the session. This warm-up will also prepare the joints for physical activity.

The effects of heating on the body are:

  • Cold muscles, tendons, and connective tissue don’t stretch very easily. Therefore, stretching without a warm-up is unlikely to produce the best effects. Warming up also relaxes the body and muscles, allowing them to stretch effectively. Cold muscles and tendons are also believed to be more prone to damage, as they are more likely to tear when cold.
  • A warm-up increases the heart rate gradually, and aerobic exercise prepares the heart and cardiovascular system, along with the muscles, gradually for exercise.
  • A warm-up also causes blood to be diverted to the working muscles. This is accomplished by making the blood vessels supplying the muscles being used to dilate. This extra blood is diverted from areas of the body that are not as important for exercise, such as the intestine.
  • Exercising without warming up can make your muscles work without an adequate supply of oxygen. This forces them to use anaerobic processes to supplement their adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. As a result, lactic acid builds up and muscles can prematurely fatigue.

A warm-up raises the body temperature. This rise in temperature facilitates and speeds up many of the processes associated with exercise metabolism. It increases the rate of transmission of nerve impulses, the rate of oxygen delivery to the muscles, and the speed of the reactions associated with the production of ATP. Therefore, in this context, it can be said that a warm-up optimizes the condition of the body.

Cooling

A cool down involves a brief period at the end of an exercise session during which the body’s physical activity is gradually reduced to almost its resting level. Therefore, a cool-down often involves a period of low-impact aerobic exercise that is gradually reduced, followed by some gentle stretching exercises. This has several effects.

Gentle aerobic activity helps eliminate any metabolic waste products that may have built up during your exercise session. The benefits of active recovery are believed to be related to the muscles continuing to receive a more extensive supply of oxygenated blood, which will also help eliminate metabolic waste products.

During exercise, blood is pumped throughout the body through the action of the heart. However, the blood is assisted in its return to the heart through the venous system and muscle contraction. If an athlete suddenly stops exercising, the heart continues to beat fast, sending blood throughout the body, but because the exercise has stopped, the blood is no longer assisted in its return to the heart. It is suggested that this is one of the reasons why people sometimes feel dizzy after exercise. During a cool-down, the heart rate is gradually reduced to its resting level and venous return continues to be assisted by actively contracting muscles, thus avoiding this problem.

After exercise and after the cool-down period, the athlete’s heart will still need a period of time to return to its full resting rhythm, but it should be within 30 beats of what it was before the exercise session began. This, of course, will be influenced by the general physical condition of the individual. It can also be influenced by the content of the session, with more demanding sessions requiring a longer cool-down. The cool-down period also provides the opportunity to include additional stretching exercises, which may be desirable, especially if they were not included as part of the main session. Including stretching exercises within the cool down period not only helps to gradually reduce the body’s activity level at the end of the session, but can also prevent stiffness the next day.

The cool-down period is also likely to occur when the body is warm, making the muscles more receptive to stretching. Therefore, the most effective stretching can be performed at this time.

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