yearbook

cool down
Cool down
Slowing down at the end of your session is
about so much more than just relaxation
Many exercisers are
guilty of cutting
their sessions short,
and although this
may mean you miss the traffic
on your way home, it also
means that you most likely
skipped an important step in
your workout – the cool down.
The cool down does so much
more than just letting your
heart rate return to normal;
for example it also prevents
blood pooling, which is when
blood collects in your legs
and feet instead of circulating
back to the heart. This
tends to happen if you stop
exercising suddenly. Cool
downs also give your body
time to remove metabolic
waste products, such as lactic
acid – the main culprit of
cramp. As well as these goals,
the cool down is also one of
the flexibility aspects of your
session, working to maintain
or improve your flexibility
– at the end of the workout
your muscles will be at their
warmest and will be
more extendable.
Your cool down will usually
involve two types of flexibility
based stretches:
• Static Maintenance
Stretches
• Static Developmental
Stretches
Static maintenance stretches
are used to help return muscles
to their pre exercise length.
They are only short stretches –
held for about six to 10 seconds
– where you take the stretch to
the end of your usual range of
motion without bouncing and
then hold the position.
Static developmental
stretches on the other hand
are used to develop the
length of the muscle fibres,
which increases the range of
movement at a joint.
Holding a static
developmental stretch
• Take the stretch to the
point where you can feel it,
keeping good posture and
alignment
• Hold for about 15 seconds
or until the tension in the
muscle has reduced
• Relax the position briefly
and then return to the
stretch, increasing the range
of movement until tension is
felt again – you should find
that you can stretch a bit
further this time
• Hold again for
approximately 15 seconds
• Return to your
normal position
Cool down tips
Although cool down stretches
could often be said to be the
same as the ones used in
the warm up, it's important
to remember that you are
using them for a difference
purpose – instead of ramping
up your heart rate, you want
to be lowering it. For that
purpose, try and encourage
relaxation in your cool down,
for example, the majority of
stretches that you would do
standing up for the wam up,
you can do sitting or lying on
the floor instead. Instead of
trying to balance on one foot
for a quad stretch, why don't
you lie on your stomach and
kick your heel to your glutes
instead, resting your head on
the floor? Even stretching out
your triceps or chest can be
done cross legged on the floor
rather than standing.
Katie is the editor of
Personal Trainer magazine,
a qualified Level 2
gym instructor and is
currently undergoing her
Level 3 Personal Trainer
qualification with Discovery
Learning. Get in touch at
katie@ptmagazine.co.uk
| PT YEARBOOK 2016 | WWW.PTMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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