| When people want to keep fit they tend to rush | | | | injuries. |
| into it without doing the proper preparation. A | | | | - Makes your joints more supple and flexible by |
| common component of effective fitness training | | | | oiling the joints |
| is the warm up and cooling down routine. This is | | | | - Stretches your ligaments and connective |
| an essential component that many people forget | | | | tissue.Invigorates your muscle nerves resulting in |
| to do. Then, they wonder why they are getting | | | | more responsive and efficient motion of the body. |
| muscle and tendon strains. If you do not warm up | | | | A good warm up session does not need to take |
| and cool down during exercise you should | | | | up a lot of time. Aim for about 5 to 10 minutes |
| introduce these routines into your fitness | | | | to warm up. If you are doing a longer more |
| program. | | | | intensive exercise session then extend the length |
| The warm up session is to prepare your body | | | | of time that you warm up and cool down.Your |
| both physically and mentally for the physical | | | | warm up session should focus on the following |
| activity you are about to do. By doing this | | | | areas: |
| preparation you will improve the output and | | | | - Neck |
| performance of your body. You will also reduce | | | | - Shoulders |
| your risk of having an injury. The cooling down | | | | - Trunk or torso |
| session is as important as the warm up. You do | | | | - knees |
| the cooling down at the end of your exercise | | | | - Ankles and hips |
| routine. This helps with returning your body to a | | | | After your exercise workout you should begin |
| relaxed state and similar to the state your body | | | | your cooling down session. The cool down should |
| was in before you started the exercise. | | | | last the same time as your warm up. This on |
| It is important that you perform a warm up and | | | | average should be 5 to 10 minutes. If it has been |
| cool down correctly to prepare and recover your | | | | a long intensive workout then the cool down |
| body as effectively as possible. An effective | | | | session should be extended to around 15 to 20 |
| warm up session will prepare your body as | | | | minutes. During the session focus mostly on the |
| follows: | | | | muscle groups that were used during the exercise |
| - It will increase the rate of oxygen in your blood | | | | activity. By incorporating these in to your fitness |
| by pumping your heart and lungs. | | | | program you will not only feel better you will also |
| - It will increase your body temperature. | | | | perform better. |
| - Cold muscles are more prone to tears and | | | | |