Transcript Warming Up & cooling Down

Warming Up
Warming up prior to physical activity will help prepare
the body and mind for the activity to come.
A warm up should be done prior to commencing physical
activity to gradually raise the heart rate (HR), help
mobilise the joints and warm up the muscles.
A warm up should be specific to the activity you are
about to commence eg. When warming up for
basketball you should perform movement patterns
you are likely to perform in the game.
A typical warm up can be broken down into different
parts:
a)
Initial HR raise (1-2mins) – low level jogging, arm movements
and leg movements gradually increasing range of movement.
b)
Dynamic Stretching 6-8mins) – dynamic stretching helps
increase flexibility and joint mobility by performing stretches
through ‘over-exaggerated’ movements (see the section on
stretching for more details)
c)
Second HR raise (1-2mins) – The HR will naturally slow during
the dynamic warm up phase so this phase aims to bring the HR
back up through increased intensity in jogging, high knees,
skipping, side-steps etc.
d)
Activity specific (2-4mins) – This phase focuses on performing
movement patterns that you are likely to perform in the activity
to follow and should be performed above 75% max effort or at
roughly ‘Game speed’
Total time: 10-16mins (this is a guide only and timings can vary)
Cooling Down
Cooling down and stretching prior to physical activity is just as
important as performing a warm up beforehand.
A cool down allows the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to
return to normal at a gradual rate. This gradual decrease in HR
allows the blood being pumped to the areas of the body that
required it more during exercise to return to those areas that
wouldn’t have required as much. This gradual return avoids any
pooling of blood which could ultimately lead to blood clots.
After physical activity, the chances are that lactic acid would have
built up in the muscles. Performing static stretches prior to
exercising can aid in flushing out any waste products from the
muscles and as the muscles are nice and warm, can help
improve flexibility.
For advice and guidance on stretching and flexibility see the section
on Stretching.
A typical cool down could consist of the following:
a)
Slow jogging down to a gradual walk (1-5mins)– bring the HR
back down gradually
b)
Static Stretching (aim for 2mins per muscle group as a guide) –
aim to hold each stretch for roughly 30secs with 30sec rest inbetween
Rehydrate and Re-fuel!
It is important to replace all the nutrients and
fluid you may have lost through physical
activity so ensure you get enough fluids and
energy into your body. This will also aid in
recovery.