Transcript The importance of Warm Up and Cool Down

The importance of a
Warm Up and Cool Down
• It is essential to warm up and cool
down before and after any physical
activity.
• The warm up and cool down can
prevent injury and enhance
performance.
• The warm up and cool down should be
part of every session of the training
programme.
Purposes of a Warm up
• The purpose of a warm up is to prepare
the body and the mind for activity.
• The warm up is both physical and
mental.
• It is not advisable to begin activity
without a proper warm up and expect
the body to adapt to the demands
placed upon it.
Components of a warm up
1. Heart raising activity –
• Pulse rate should be gradually
increased to a level that is similar
to that in the activity.
• The blood that is pumped
around the body will warm the
muscles ready for activity.
Components of a warm up
2. Stretches –
• Mobility in the joints should be
worked on and warmed up with
some gentle stretches.
• The stretches should focus on
major muscle groups and some
specific ones for the activity.
Components of a warm up
3. Activity related practices –
• Part of the warm up should include
activity specific techniques or skills.
• This will focus the mind.
• For example dribbling drills in
basketball, practice strokes in
swimming.
• The warm up should be completed in
the same place as the activity.
Down
• A cool down has a similar purpose to
the warm up.
• A warm up aims to gradually increase
the heart rate, a cool down aims to
gradually reduce the heart rate.
• The blood that has been pumping
around the muscles needs to be
dispersed.
• The cool down should reduce the
amount of lactic acid in the muscles and
therefore reduce muscle soreness.
Cool Down cont.
• The cool down should have some
slow jogging or walking.
• It should also have stretches of all
muscle groups and any specific
muscles that have been used.
Homework – Due in
Tuesday 8th June
• Write up warm up and cool down for the
training programme.
• Write a general warm up and cool down
that you will use before each training
session of your 6 weeks training
programme.
• This needs to be related to your chosen
sport.
• You need to include specific details,
including diagrams of stretches.