As a former personal trainer, one thing I noticed at the gym was the unreal amount of people who didn’t cool down or stretch after a workout!!! They just got their bag and left…. THIS IS SO BAD FOR YOUR BODY!!!!! I’ve been providing some fun at home workouts the past several weeks so this week we’re taking care of our muscles and focusing on the cool down and stretching.
Why is a cool down so important??
When you’re working out, your body is working HARD to pump blood to your arms and legs to keep up oxygen flow. When you suddenly stop moving, your blood starts to pool in your arms and legs. This can cause blood to accumulate in your legs and reduce blood flow back to your heart, brain, lungs, and other vital organs.This is why you may feel light headed…or even faint after a workout!
In older adults this can even sometimes cause a heart attack… it is so important to keep blood flowing after you exercise!! Not only does the active cool down help continue blood circulation and prevent you from fainting but it also helps remove metabolic waste that was produced during the workout such as CO2 and lactic acid in your muscles. A cool down can be as simple as an extra 3-5 minute walk or a light jump rope to bring your heart rate down slowly.
Once your heart rate has slowed to a more normal range THEN you can start stretching.
After a workout you’ll want to stretch major muscles by taking it to a point of tension (NOT PAIN) for 60 seconds. You can do 4 reps of 15 seconds or 1 long 60 second hold. This will help with flexibility and prevent bad posture & injury.
If you just did a 45 minute long chest workout, by not stretching the chest muscles they will shorten over time and pull your shoulders forward to that “hunched” look. Your muscles are very tight and short after a workout, it’s important to stretch right away to lengthen the muscle back to it’s normal position. These postural imbalances can lead to serious injury while exercising in the future!
Ok, get it, so what muscles need to be stretched??
My rule of thumb is if you worked… it you stretch it. Simple to remember! If you used legs at all you’ll stretch hamstrings, quads, glutes, hip flexors, & calves. Any upper body work you’ll want to stretch chest, back, & arms. I personally like to stretch full body after any workout to maintain flexibility and keep good posture!
I have two really simple routines that I do after each of my workouts and after I’ve cooled down. I did a quick run through in the video below to show you how to properly do each move. The first video is my upper body routine and the second is my lower body routine. Like I said, don’t feel like you have to only stretch the muscles you worked… if you only worked legs, it’s not going to hurt you to stretch upper body too…it will only make you better 😁💪🏼