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01 Aug 2006 10:30 AM

Warm Ups & Cool Downs - What You Need to Know

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

Warming up is what we do before exercising. Cooling down is what we do afterwards. You need to be sure you understand not only why we warm up and cool down, but right things to do and the things that you definitely don't.

Do:

• Give yourself at least 5 to 10 minutes to warm up before beginning a work out
• Practice full range of motion for your joints during warm up
• Start out slow and easy, remember it is called warming up for a reason
• Be sure to give yourself 3 to 6 minutes to cool down after a work out
• Practice your breathing during your warm up and cool down
• Pay attention to feelings of pain, if you experience them it's time to take it easy or back off

Don't:

• Just quit after a workout and sit down for a break
• Just dive into a workout without warming your muscles up
• Go straight into a run without walking ahead of time
• Overextend your stretches just to prove how far you can go
• Hold your breath in an effort to reach to strain further
• Skip the warm up or cool down because you are pressed for time, just cut the main workout by five minutes instead

What else do you know about warming up and cooling down?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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