|
|
The Heart & Vascular CenterWARM UP - COOL DOWN |
|
|
|
|
| Warming up and cooling down are two fundamental components
of any sound exercise program. Yet, both are often overlooked in
the hurry to get exercise over with. A warm up is performed before
exercise and a cool down is done after the exercise session. Spend
about 5 minutes on the warm up and about 5 to 10 minutes on the cool down.
The purpose of warming up and cooling down is to reduce the chance of injury and to make the transition from rest to exercise less stressful on the body. The heart, lungs, muscles, and joints will all benefit from proper warming up and cooling down. Stretching is a preferred modality to use as a warm up and cool down because it also gives an added benefit of increasing flexibility thus reducing the risk of injury due to poor range of motion. When stretching, NEVER BOUNCE or hold your breath. Bouncing will increase the risk of injuring yourself and holding your breath while stretching can cause your blood pressure to rise sharply. Stretches should be gentle, never painful. Do 3 to 5 repetitions of each stretch and hold each stretch for at least five seconds. For a copy of the stretching exercises used in the Heart Center's Cardiac Rehab Program, please call 955-1736. |