Running - Why it is Critical You Do a Warm Up and Cool Down Session
One of the most important ways that you can improve your running performance and reduce your risk of being injured is to have a structured training regime that includes a warming up session before your run and a cooling down session straight after your run.
Many people who run or do regular exercise do not realise the importance of these.
Many consider them a waste of time or they could not be bothered doing them.
This is not a wise decision.
When you do any type of strenuous exercise you have to give your body time to adjust to the intensity of the exercise.
If you have been sitting around all day and then you rush straight into a 5 mile run at an intense pace without any warm up you are putting your body and muscles into shock.
You will pay the price of this madness the next day and if this type of behaviour continues it will result in serious damage and injury.
You have to prepare your body first to ensure it can cope effectively with the demands of the exercise ahead.
To begin your warm up start off your run with the first 10 minutes at a slow relaxed pace.
Use this time to get the limbs flowing and work out any stiffness you may have from the previous workout session.
Get your breathing rhythm going and your blood circulating.
After ten minutes you can increase the pace of your running until you reach your normal pace level.
Keep this pace until 10 minutes before you finish.
Equally important is the cooling down session.
Many people forget to do this as well and they are doing themselves no favours by not doing a cool down.
When you do any type of strenuous exercise without a cooling down and stretch your muscles will continue to tighten after you have finished your exercise.
This results in the aching pain that you will feel the next day.
Over the longer term this can lead to serious damage and injury to your body.
You will want to avoid this and you can do so by following these suggestions: As with the warm up at the beginning of your run use the last 10 to 5 minutes to gradually slow your pace down.
This will help your body to naturally cool down.
After 5 or 10 minutes you can stop and then do your stretching routine.
Alternatively, after you stop running you can walk for the next the 5 or 10 minutes and use this as your way of cooling down.
While walking relax your breathing and then do your stretching routine.
Many people who run or do regular exercise do not realise the importance of these.
Many consider them a waste of time or they could not be bothered doing them.
This is not a wise decision.
When you do any type of strenuous exercise you have to give your body time to adjust to the intensity of the exercise.
If you have been sitting around all day and then you rush straight into a 5 mile run at an intense pace without any warm up you are putting your body and muscles into shock.
You will pay the price of this madness the next day and if this type of behaviour continues it will result in serious damage and injury.
You have to prepare your body first to ensure it can cope effectively with the demands of the exercise ahead.
To begin your warm up start off your run with the first 10 minutes at a slow relaxed pace.
Use this time to get the limbs flowing and work out any stiffness you may have from the previous workout session.
Get your breathing rhythm going and your blood circulating.
After ten minutes you can increase the pace of your running until you reach your normal pace level.
Keep this pace until 10 minutes before you finish.
Equally important is the cooling down session.
Many people forget to do this as well and they are doing themselves no favours by not doing a cool down.
When you do any type of strenuous exercise without a cooling down and stretch your muscles will continue to tighten after you have finished your exercise.
This results in the aching pain that you will feel the next day.
Over the longer term this can lead to serious damage and injury to your body.
You will want to avoid this and you can do so by following these suggestions: As with the warm up at the beginning of your run use the last 10 to 5 minutes to gradually slow your pace down.
This will help your body to naturally cool down.
After 5 or 10 minutes you can stop and then do your stretching routine.
Alternatively, after you stop running you can walk for the next the 5 or 10 minutes and use this as your way of cooling down.
While walking relax your breathing and then do your stretching routine.
