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| Your work-out does not finish when you are exhausted; a cool-down, the third phase of your exercise period, is essential to restore your body to its resting state. Studies suggest that people who are prone to heart disease suffer more heart attacks after exercise - because they did not cool down properly - than during it. Keep moving, or you may become dizzy, lightheaded, or even lose consciousness. Advantages of a proper cool down 1 Helping your heart After exercise, veins carry blood back to your heart from areas where it has pooled (usually the legs). Gentle cooling-down exercises cause your muscles to squeeze the veins, which greatly assists the passage of blood back to the heart. Regular exercise is also essential in keeping your veins in working order. 2 Calming your mind and body The cool-down helps to prevent stiffness and soreness - common in beginners - by removing the waste products and lactic acid from your worked muscles, and calms your body both physically and mentally by a gradual decrease in exercise intensity. having relaxed muscles after a work-out is a wonderful feeling; the release of natural hormones (endorphins) from the brain leads to a pleasant state of euphoria that the non-exerciser will never experience.
Suggested cool-down exercises 1 Brisk walking Instead of sitting down, walk around briskly and bring your heart rate down to 100-120 beats per minute. 2 Deep breathing Stand with your feet apart and hands on your hips. Breathe deeply: in through the nose and out through the mouth. Take 5-10 deep breaths, squeezing all the air out on each occasion, and relaxing your shoulders. 3 Arm circling Stand with your feet apart and hands on your hips. Circle your arms backwards and together so that they come close to your ears. 4 Trunk bending and stretching Stand with your feet wide apart and lower your trunk so that your hands touch the ground. Reach through your legs and then raise your arms above your head, breathing in on the way up and out on the way down. 5 Trunk bend and unroll Stand with your feet wide apart and lower your trunk to the ground. Unroll slowly to a count of 1-5 and finally breathe in deeply and stand upright. repeat 5 times. 6 Arm and heel raise Stand with your feet wide apart and your arms at your sides. Rise up on your toes and turn your palms outwards, taking a deep breath as you rise and breathing out on the way down.
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Email: yourpersonaltrainer@ic24.net
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Stretching
exercises prevent your muscles getting too stiff or sore. Your blood tends to
pool during a comprehensive work-out; gentle cooling down exercises help
redistribute it.