The Importance of Warming Up and Cooling Down

One of the most important factors in injury prevention is warming up and cooling down, and should not be neglected.

Warming up refers to a preparatory phase at the beginning of an exercise session. It generally involves a period of low-impact exercise regimes which prepare the body for the more strenuous aspects of the sporting activity. It is an important aspect of exercise in reducing the risk of injury that would possibly happen if overstretching occurred, without the person being physically warmed up and prepared for the exercise.

Cooling down refers to a short period at the end of an exercise session. The cooling down phase, again, tends to involve a short period of low-impact exercise which gradually returns the body to its ‘resting state’. The cooling down phase is believed to reduce the risk of muscular soreness which may occur the day after an exercise session, and reduce the risk of fainting or collapse after such a session.

The Warming Up Session

An exercise session should always commence with a period of warm up. In some cases it may take the form of a series of specially designed preparatory exercise, whilst in other sessions it will simply involve performing the activity at a low density before increasing the intensity to the desired level. The warming up period is important for the following reasons:

• It gets the body ready for the physcal exertion that follows. This optimises the physical condition, enabling the body to cope more easily with the activity. It also enables the athlete to get the most benefit from the session.

• If the warm-up session has specific movements relating to the sporting activity the muscles can be re-educated in preparation for the coming activities.

• It reduces the risk of injury (cold muscles do not stretch very easily) and it reduces the risk of premature fatigue which can occur if the cardiovascular system is unprepared for strenuous activity.

It prepares cardiac function for increased activity and reduces the risk of stress being placed on the heart.

A typical warm-up may involve some ‘loosening exercises’ followed by a few minutes of low-impact aerobic activity and then a series of stretching exercises. This may last for approximately five to fifteen minutes depending upon the intensity of the session which follows. Loosening exercises at the start of the warm up may include activities such as ’stretching’ and ‘running on the spot’. These are gentle activities which begin to prepare the body for exercise and are especially important if the athlete has been inactive for a while.

The aerobic exercise may involve activities such as cycling on an exercise cycle. This has the effect of increasing the heart rate, diverting blood to the exercising muscles and raising the overall temperature of the muscles.

Stretching exercises provide the final phase of warm up and ensure that the muscles and tendons are prepared for the exercise. An important reason for stretching exercises is to prevent the muscles and tendons from being overstretched during the session. Such a warm up will also prepare the joints for physical activity.

The Effects of Warm Up on the Body are:

• Cold muscle, tendons and connectinve tissue do not stretch very easily. Stretching without a warm-up is therefore unlikely to produce the best effects. Warming up also relaxes the body and muscle which further allows them to be stretched effectively. It is also believed that cold muscles and tendons are more prone to damage since they are more likely to tear when cold.

• A warm-up increases the heart rate gradually, and aerobic exercise prepares the heart and cardiovascular system, together with the muscles, gradually, for exercise.

• A warm-up also causes the blood to be diverted to the exercising muscles. This is achieved by getting the blood vessels that supply the muscles being used, to dilate. This extra blood is diverted from areas of the body not as important for exercising, such as the gut.

• Exercising, without warming up, may cause the muscles to work without an adequate oxygen supply. This forces them to use anaerobic processes to supplement their production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). As a consequence, lactic acid accumulates and the muscles may become prematurely fatigued.

A warm-up increases the temperature of the body. This increase in temperature facilitates and speeds up many of the processes associated with exercise metabolism. It increases the rate of nerve impulse transmission, the rate of oxygen delivery to the muscles and the speed of the reactions associated with the production of ATP. Therefore, in this context, a warm up may be said to optimise the condition of the body.

Cooling Down

A cool-down involves a short period at the end of an exercise session during which the physical activity of the body is gradually reduced to almost its resting level. A cool-down therefore often involves a period of low-impact aerobic exercise which is gradually reduced, followed by a few gentle stretching exercises. This has a number of effects.

• The gentle aerobic activity helps to get rid of any metabolic waste products which may have accumulated during the exercise session. The benefits of an active recovery are believed to be related to the muscles continuing to receive a more extensive supply of oxygenated blood, which will also assist with the removal of metabolic waste products.

During exercise the blood is being pumped around the body by the action of the heart. However, the blood is assisted in its return to the heart via the venous system and muscular contraction. If an athlete stops exercising suddenly, the heart continues to beat fast, sending blood around the body, but, because the exercise has ceased, the blood is no longer assisted in its return to the heart. It is suggested that this is one of the reasons why people sometimes feel faint after exercise. During a cool-down, the heart rate is gradually lowered to its resting level and the venous return continues to be assisted by the actively contracting muscles, thereby preventing this problem.

After exercising, and following the cool-down period, the athlete’s heart will still need a period of time to settle back down to its full resting rate but should be within 30 beats of what it was before the exercise session started. This will, of course, be influenced by the overall physical condition of the individual. It may also be influenced by the content of the session, with more demanding sessions requiring a more extensive cool-down. The cooling down period also provides an opportunity for the inclusion of additional stretching exercises, which may be desirable especially if they were not included as part of the main session. The inclusion of stretching exercises within the cool-down period not only helps to gradually lower the activity level of the body at the end of the session, but it may also prevent stiffness the following day.

The cool-down period is also likely to take place when the body is warm, making the muscles more receptive to stretching. The most effective stretching can therefore be performed at this time.

Good Stretch? Bad Stretch?

How to decide for yourself

There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch!

Just as there are no good or bad exercises, There are no good or bad stretches, only what is appropriate for the specific requirements of the individual. So a stretch that is perfectly okay for me, may not be okay for you or someone else.

Let me give you an example. You wouldn’t ask someone with a shoulder injury to do push-ups or freestyle swimming, but that doesn’t mean that these are bad exercises. Now consider the same scenario from a stretching point of view. You wouldn’t ask that same person to do shoulder stretches, would you? But that doesn’t mean that all shoulder stretches are bad.

The stretch itself isn’t good or bad, it’s the way it’s performed and who it’s performed on that makes it effective or safe, or ineffective or harmful. To place a particular stretch into a category of “Good” or “Bad” can be dangerous. To label a stretch as “Good” gives people the impression that they can do that stretch whenever and however they want and it won’t cause them any problems.

The specific requirements of the individual are what’s important!

Remember, stretches are neither good nor bad. However, when choosing a stretch there are a number of precautions and “checks” you need to perform before giving that stretch the okay.

• Make a general review of the individual.

  Are they healthy and physically active, or have they been leading a sedentary lifestyle for the past 5 years? Are they a professional athlete? Are they recovering from a serious injury? Do they have aches, pains or muscle and joint stiffness in any area of their body?

• Make a specific review of the area, or muscle group to be stretched.

Are the muscles healthy? Is there any damage to the joints, ligaments, tendons, etc.? Has the area been injured recently, or is it still recovering from an injury?

If the muscle group being stretched isn’t 100% healthy, avoid stretching this area altogether. Work on recovery and rehabilitation before moving onto specific stretching exercises. If however, the individual is healthy and the area to be stretched is free from injury, then apply the following to all stretches.

• Warm up prior to stretching.

  Warming up prior to stretching does a number of beneficial things, but primarily its purpose is to prepare tne body and mind for more strenuous activity.. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the body’s core temperature while also increasing the body’s muscle temperature. By increasing muscle temperature you are helping to make the muscles loose, supple and pliable. This is essential to ensure the maximum benefit is gained from your stretching.

• Stretch gently and slowly. (Avoid bouncing).

  Stretching slowly and gently helps to relax your muscles, which in turn makes stretching more pleasurable and beneficial. This will also help to avoid muscle tears and strains that can be caused by rapid, jerky movements.

• Stretch only to the point of tension.

  Stretching is NOT an activity that was meant to be painful, it should be pleasurable, relaxing and very beneficial. Although many people believe that to get the most from their stretching they need to be in constant pain. This is one of the greatest mistakes you can make when stretching.

• Breathe slowly and easily when stretching.

  Many people unconsciuosly hold their breath while stretching. This causes tension in your muscles, which in turn makes it very difficult to stretch. To avoid this, remember to breathe slowly and deeply during your stretching. This helps to relax your muscles, promotes blood flow and increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.

• Stretch all major muscles and their opposing muscle groups.

  When stretching, it is vitally important that you pay attention to all the major muscle groups in the body. Just because your particular sport may place a lot of emphasis on the legs, for example, does not mean that you can neglect the muscles of your upper body in your stretching routine.

  All the muscles play an important part in any physical activity, not just a select few. Muscles in the upper body, for example, are extremely important in any running sport, as they play a vital role in the stability and balance of the body during the running motion. Therefore it is important to keep them both flexible and supple.

  Every muscle in the body has an opposing muscle that acts against it. For example, the muscles in the front of the leg, (the quadriceps) are opposed by the muscles in the back of the leg, (the hamstrings). These two groups of muscles provide a resistance to each other to balance the body. If one of these two groups becomes stronger or more flexible than the opposing group, it is likely to lead to imbalances that can result in injury or postural problems. For example, hamstring tears are common injury in most running sports. They are often caused by strong quadriceps and weak, inflexible hamstrings. This imbalance puts a great deal of pressure on the hamstrings and usually results in a muscle tear.

  Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

• Be aware of your Posture while stretching.

  Posture is one of the most neglected aspects of stretching. It is important to be aware of how crucial it can be to the overall benefits of your stretching. Bad posture and incorrect technique can cause imbalancies in the muscles that can lead to injury.

  In many instancies a major muscle group can be made up of a number of different muscles. If your posture is sloppy or incorrect, your stretching may put more emphasis on one particular muscle in that muscle group, thus causing an imbalance that could lead to injury.

  For example, when stretching the hamstrtings, it is imperative that you keep both feet pointing straight up. If your feet fall to the side this will put undue stress on one particular part of the hamstrings, which will result in a muscle imbalance.

An example
Let’s take a look at one of the most controversial stretches ever performed and see how the above would be applied.

The stretch to the right causes many a person to go into complete melt-down. It has a reputation as a dangerous, bad stretch and should be avoided at all costs. Even just thinking about this stretch may cause injury.

So why is it that at every Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships you see sprinters doing this stretch before their events? Let’s apply the above checks to find out.

Firstly, consider the person performing the stretch. Are they healthy, fit and physically active? If not, this isn’t a stretch they should be doing. Are they elderly, over weight and unfit? Are they young and still growing? Do they lead a sedentary lifestyle? If so, they should avoid this stretch!

This first consideration alone would prohibit 50% of the population from doing this stretch.

Secondly, review the area to be stretched. This stretch obviously puts a large strain on the muscles of the hamstrings and lower back. So if your hamstrings or lower back aren’t 100% healthy, don’t do this stretch.

This second consideration would probably rule out another 25%, which means this stretch is only suitable for about 25% of the population. Or, the well trained, physically fit, injury free athlete.

Then apply the four precautions above and the well trained, physically fit, injury free athlete can perform this stretch safely and effectively.

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