Before & After Exercise

Warming up and stretching are necessary components to any exercise program. And, they’re different activities. Knowing the differences will ensure maximum benefit from a warm-up and stretch routine.

Warming up readies the body for more rigorous activity and reduces risk of injury. It slowly increases heart rate, muscle temperature, and respiration. The warm-up is initiated during the first five minutes of an aerobic workout. If you are going for a walk, jog, or run, start out with slow, relaxed steps, working up to your usual pace. For cycling and rowing, move leisurely at first, increasing speed after five minutes. For gym workouts, do a five minute warm-up on the first machine you use and then segue into a faster speed.

If weight training is the first and/or only exercise you do, walk around a little, or jog easily in place before beginning weight lifting. Also, a cooldown is wise at the end of exercise. It is simply executed by reducing speed during the last two minutes of your activity.

Most people do mild stretching each day when they roll out of bed, reach arms overhead, and yawn. But the best program includes shoulders, neck, back, abdomen, legs, and ankles.

Stretching increases flexibility, decreases soreness, and helps to get oxygen and other nutrients to muscle tissue. It is best initiated after a workout when muscles are warm and pliable and there is an increase in blood flow and synovial fluid (lubricating liquid around joints). Begin each stretch by moving slowly into position until you feel an easy, relaxed pull in the focused muscles. If you feel pain, ease up, you’ve gone too far for your body. Hold each stretch for 10 to 15 seconds without bouncing. Muscles respond to bounce by contracting rather than expanding. Breathe normally throughout each movement.

Since muscle tissues lose flexibility over time, stretching is wise even for those who do not engage in a regular exercise program. Before you begin, walk around or in place for five minutes, or do some activity that helps break a light sweat. With muscles warm, begin your stretches.

No matter what your fitness level, warming up and stretching are essential for any exercise.

Carole Marshall is a writer based in Port Townsend, Wash.

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