To keep the risk of injury low and get the most out of your workout, it’s important to warm up sufficiently before exercising and cool down afterwards. In addition, regular stretching strengthens joints, tendons and ligaments while addressing imbalances and shortened muscles. Here you can find out why up, cool down and stretching are also important and how you can best do them.
Never skip the warm up
Whether you’re a professional or amateur athlete, you should get your body into sports mode before you start training. Sufficient time should be planned for this, because loose warm-up exercises get the circulation going and increase the transport of oxygen and nutrients, so that muscles, ligaments and tendons are sufficiently supplied and ready for the physical stress. At the same time, the muscles increase their oxygen intake so that they can perform better during the workout itself. This is important so that they can withstand stress later on, reducing the risk of overuse and the associated risk of injury. In addition to the musculoskeletal system, the stimulated blood flow also activates the brain, so that reaction speed, balance, flexibility and coordination increase.
How to warm up optimally
It’s best to start slowly to get your body ready for the exercise. Depending on the type of sport, there are different warm-up exercises. For some, a bit of easy, slow jogging or jumping rope is suitable, while others should complete mobilization units before training. The basic rule here is to go from small to large. This means that you should start with small movements like shoulder circles and then increase the range of motion to include more and more parts of the body. The duration of the warm up also depends on the specific type of training or the intensity of the training, whereby
amateur athletes can orientate themselves to 10 to 20 minutes. In the morning, however, the body needs longer because it has just gotten out of bed and has not been moving all day.
Cool Down - Why & How?
The cool down should take place at the end of every training session to ensure a gentle end to the sporting activity. In this phase, the body has the opportunity to shut down the circulation and breathing. In addition, metabolic products are broken down and muscle tension slowly decreases, which promotes regeneration and counteracts muscle soreness. In general, the more intense and longer the training session, the longer the cool down. The body should cool down during loose movements, such as light jogging, similar to the warm up. However, the exercises should be chosen so that they are no longer perceived as strenuous.
Regardless of whether you are an athlete or not: stretching is recommended
Depending on the type of sport or load, stretching exercises can follow the cool down. However, these should be omitted, e.g. after intensive strength training, as otherwise the micro-traumas in the musculature can increase. In general, however, stretching (also for strength athletes) is highly recommended to promote mobility and flexibility. In addition, regular stretching sessions can counteract shortened muscles as well as muscular imbalances, which are caused, for example, by sitting for too long. When stretching, it is important to make sure that you do not go beyond the pain threshold. The more often you stretch, the further you get into each exercise. These should be held for about 20 – 30 seconds. If you have cooled down sufficiently, you can also promote regeneration by taking a sauna or a warm shower.
