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Proper Warm up and Cool Down
Taken from Variables for Weight Lifting and Exercise © 2003 Anthony Sell - All Rights Reserved
It is very important, in order to avoid injury and decreased progress, to be certain that the muscles and joints are properly warmed-up before fully exerting oneself.
Running in place, light calisthenics, gradual aerobics, and low impact exercises are acceptable methods of warm up exercises. While increasing intensity, alternate between stretching and exercise.
Ideally, warm ups will be for the whole body, even if the target training area of that particular workout is only a small part of the body. Exactly which of these types of exercise are used to warm up is not important so long as you follow a few simple guidelines.
Protect your Joints from immediate jarring impact.
Protect your Spine from over-extension and jarring or sharply twisting maneuvers.
Elevate your Heart Rate to your target range (see below).
Maintain this level of performance until you have broken a good sweat (3-4 minutes).
Be sure to loosen all the joints of your body, even the ones you're not going to use.
Your heart rate is an excellent indicator of whether or not you are sufficiently warmed up for any type of strenuous exercise.
To take your pulse, find with the pads of your index and middle fingers the soft area to the left of your throat, about an inch down from your jaw. Count the number of pulses for six seconds and then multiply that amount by ten. This will give you an average number of beats per minute.
For healthy individuals, peak performance levels should be between 65% and 85% of your maximum heart rate. For beginning athletes, the target range would be between 60% and 70% of your maximum heart rate. For calculating your maximum heart rate, use this formula:
220 - Your Age = Maximum Number of Beats per Minute for any Extended Period of Time.
This is a very general but safe guideline. People with heart problems, respiratory problems, and other such obstacles should naturally consult a physician for advice that is specific to their condition. Going beyond the maximum heart rate for extended periods of time is not only counter-productive to the benefits of exercise, it is dangerous.
As for warming up, you should attempt to maintain your Target Heart Rate for 4-5 minutes, allowing your body temperature to rise, to break a sweat, and to allow your respiratory system adapt to the increased demand on your lungs.
Another way of judging the pace or cadence of your warm-up exercise is that you should have difficulty speaking while performing your warm-up.
Resistance training, in addition to cardiovascular training and Martial Arts skills training has its own preparations for ideal performance.
Before performing the first set of an exercise in resistance training it is important to complete a "Warm-up Set," allowing the body to adjust to the range of motion that will be performed. This set is usually done with very light weight, slowly, and with the fullest range of motion possible.
.At the end of your main workout, the most important responsibility you have to your body is to adequately cool-down. This requires a gradual lowering of one's heart rate and stretching.
Stretching at this point in your workout is most beneficial, for recovery time, improving overall flexibility and for avoiding future injuries. An appropriate cool-down will be between 10 and 20 minutes long, and will also include drinking plenty of water.
With proper warm-up and cool-down routines, you will be allowing yourself to continue training injury free for years to come.