Transcript Stretching and Flexibility

Warming Up
& Cooling Down
Dr. Michael P. Gillespie
Why Warm Up?
 Warming up prior to any physical activity prepares the
body and mind for more strenuous activity.
 It increases the bodies core temperature, while also
increasing the muscle temperature.
 Increasing the muscle temperature makes them loose
and pliable.
Why Warm Up?
 An effective warm-up increases both the heart rate and
the respiratory rate.
 This increases blood flow, which in turn increases the
delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the working
muscles.
 This helps to prepare the muscles, tendons, and joints
for more strenuous activity.
Warming Up
 It is not absolutely necessary to warm up prior to
stretching, but it isn’t a bad idea.
 You can avoid injury if you stretch comfortably
regardless of whether or not you warm up first.
 Warm up by doing the activity (such as running or
cycling) that you are about to do, but at a lower
intensity. Then Stretch
Warming Up
 Walking and jogging are a good basic warm-up for
many activities.
 They will increase your blood temperature and raise total
body temperature to provide an effective warm-up.
Stretching and Injury
 You can get hurt stretching if you:
 Are in too much of a hurry (not relaxed).
 You push too far, too soon (overstretching a cold muscle).
 You are not paying attention to the feeling of the stretch.
 You will not get hurt stretching if you stretch correctly.
Warming Up
 Stretching is NOT warming up; however, it is a very
important part of warming up.
 Warming up involves raising your body temperature by
one or two degrees Celsius (1.4 to 2.8 degrees
Fahrenheit).
 Phases of warm-up:
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1. General warm-up.
2. Stretching.
3. Sport-specific activity.
4. Dynamic stretching.
General Warm-up
 The general warm up should consist of a light physical
activity.
 Walking, jogging, easy swimming, stationary bike,
skipping, or easy aerobics.
 Both the intensity and duration of the general warm-up
should be governed by the fitness level of the
participating athlete.
General Warm-up
 The correct general warm-up for the average person
should take about 5-10 minutes and result in a light
sweat.
 The aim of general warm-up is simply to elevate the
heart rate and respiratory rate.
 This increases the blood flow and assists in the
transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the working
muscles.
 The increase in muscle temperature allows for a more
effective static stretch.
Static Stretching
 Static stretching should involve all of the major muscle
groups and last for about 5-10 minutes.
 Static stretching is performed by placing the body into a
position whereby the muscle or group of muscles to be
stretched is under tension.
 Both the opposing group and the muscles to be
stretched are relaxed.
Static Stretching
 Slowly and cautiously the body is moved to increase
the tension of the muscle or group of muscles to be
stretched.
 At this point, the position is held or maintained to allow
the muscles and tendons to lengthen.
 Static stretching is performed early in the warm-up and
should always be followed by sports specific drills and
dynamic stretching.
 The general warm-up and static stretching are the
foundation for a complete warm-up.
 The should both be completed properly before moving
onto the next two elements.
 This will allow for the more specific and rigorous
activities of the sports specific warm-up and dynamic
stretching.
Sport Specific Warm-up
 During this part of the warm-up, the athlete is
specifically preparing the body for the demands of
his/her particular sport.
 More vigorous activity is employed during this part of
the warm-up.
 The activities should reflect the types of movements
and actions which will be required during the sporting
event.
Dynamic Stretching
 This form of stretching carries with it a high risk of injury
if used incorrectly.
 This type of stretching should only be used under the
supervision of a professional sports coach or trainer.
 Dynamic stretching is more for muscular conditioning
than flexibility.
 It should only be utilized by individuals with a high level
of general flexibility.
Dynamic Stretching
 Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce
or swinging motion to force a particular body part past
its usual range of motion.
 The force of the bounce or swing is gradually
increased, but should never become radical or
uncontrolled.
 Keep the dynamic stretches specific to the athletes
sport.
Warming Up
 A proper warm-up does more than just loosen stiff
muscles. It can improve performance.
 An improper warm-up, or no warm-up at all, can greatly
increase your risk of injury.
Warming Up
 Active stretches and isometric stretches should NOT be
part of your warm-up.
 The goals of warm-up are “an increased awareness,
improved elasticity and contractibility of muscles, and a
greater efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular
systems” (Kurz).
 Active stretches and Isometric stretches do not help
you to achieve this objective. They cause the muscles
to become too tired to perform the athletic activity for
which you are preparing the body.
General Warm-Up
 General warm-up consists of the following activities.
 Joint rotations.
 Aerobic activity.
Joint Rotations
 The general warm-up should begin with joint-rotations,
starting either from your toes and working your way up,
or from your fingers and working your way down.
 This facilitates joint motion by lubricating the synovial
joint with synovial fluid.
 You should perform circular movements both clockwise
and counter-clockwise, until the joint seems to move
smoothly.
Order of Joint Rotations
 1. Fingers and knuckles
 7. Hips
 2. Wrists
 8. Legs
 3. Elbows
 9. Knees
 4. Shoulders
 10. Ankles
 5. Neck
 11. Toes
 6. Trunk / waist
 You can reverse the order if
you care to do so.
Aerobic Activity
 After you have performed the joint rotations, you should
engage in at least five minutes of aerobic activity such
as jogging, jumping rope, or any other activity that will
cause a similar increase in your cardiovascular output.
 The purpose of this is to raise your core body
temperature and to get your blood flowing.
 Increased blood flow in the muscles improves muscle
performance and reduces the likelihood of injury.
Why Cool Down?
 The primary reason to cool down is to promote
recovery and return the body to a pre exercise or pre
work out level.
 When performed properly, the cool down will assist the
body in the repair process.
 A proper cool down will reduce “post exercise
soreness”.
Why Cool Down?
 A proper cool down keeps the blood circulating, which
in turn prevents blood pooling.
 This helps to remove waste products from the muscles.
 It also brings oxygen and nutrients that the muscles,
tendons, and ligaments need for repair.
Cooling Down
 You should cool down after exercise by doing a scaleddown version of the main workout.
 Get your heart rate back down to a resting rate.
Key Parts of an Effective Cool
Down
 1. Gentle Exercise
 2. Stretching
 3. Re-fuel
 All three elements must work together to properly repair
and replenish the body.
Professional Cool Down
Routine
 10-15 minutes of easy exercise that resembles the type
of exercise done during the workout.
 Deep breathing to oxygenate the system.
 20-30 minutes of stretching. Static stretching and PNF
stretching.
 Re-fuel with both fluids and food. Restore your
electrolytes. Choose easily digestible food such as
fruit.
Amateur Cool Down Routine
 3-5 minutes of easy exercise that resembles the type of
exercise done during the workout.
 Deep breathing to oxygenate the system.
 5-10 minutes of stretching. Static stretching and PNF
stretching.
 Re-fuel with both fluids and food. Restore your
electrolytes. Choose easily digestible food such as
fruit.
Stretching Benefits
 Stretching will improve your athletic performance and
help you to stay injury free.
 It will help you quickly recover from workouts.