All of your runs should start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.
Why is it so important?
A good warm-up dilates the blood vessels, which ensures the supply of oxygen to your muscles. It also increases the temperature of the muscles to optimize flexibility and efficiency. By quietly increasing your heart rate, warming up helps reduce stress on your heart during the start of a session.
As critical, the cooling continues to circulate the blood in the body. A sudden stop can cause mild dizziness, while blood pressure and heart rate rapidly drop. Slowing down by walking allows your heart rate to gradually lower.
Necessary time :
- 5-10 min warm-up
- 5-10 min cool-down
Here’s how to warm up and cool down:
Stretching cold muscles isn’t recommended, it’s best to stretch your muscles towards the end of your training while your muscles are still warmed up, but not at the beginning. Start your program with a 5 to 10 minutes of light aerobics to free up your muscles and warm up for your run. Try walking, running slowly, or riding a stationary bike. Make sure you don’t push your warm-up too much. Start your run. Do not start a race, start jogging quietly and gain speed gradually.
After finishing your run, cool down by walking or running slowly for 5 to 10 minutes. Stretch completely after cooling down. Your body should be warm so easy stretching. Stretch your lower back, neck, calves, quadriceps, ankle tendons, and groin area. Keep each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
Tips:
- Do not jump while stretching. Stay stable and keep the stretch.
- Repeat each stretch 1 to 3 times
- A stretch should never hurt you, mild discomfort is normal but not pain. If there’s pain, stop immediately.
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