How to warm up your body:
Warming up prepares your body for exercise. It gradually revs up your cardiovascular system, increases blood flow to your muscles and raises your body temperature.
Select a warm-up activity that uses the very same muscles you'll use during your workout. For example, if you're going to take a vigorous 45-minute walk, walk slowly for five to 10-15 minutes to warm up.
If you have a tight or previously injured muscle, stretch the injured muscle after you warm up. Stretching brings your muscles into balance, gives a greater range of motion and decreases the risk of injuring your muscles. Hold each stretch for 30-45 seconds. Don't forget to keep it gentle and steady. Don't bounce around while stretching! Ballistic-type stretching, sudden, over-stressing movements to a cold muscle is a major cause of injury.
How to cool down your body:
Right after your workout, it is essential to take time to cool down. The point is to gradually reduces the temperature of your muscles fiber and help reduce muscle injury, soreness and stiffness. Slowing activity following exercise also prevents the light-headedness (dizziness) caused by the pooling of blood in the lower extremeties.
Cooling down is similar to warming up. After your workout, walk or continue your activity at a low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes. For example, after a 30-minute session of vigorous walking, cool down by decreasing your walking pace for 5 to 10 minutes.
Make stretching a part of your cool down:
After you cool down, your muscles will be warm and ready for stretching. Stretching regularly increases your flexibility, improves blood circulation and helps maximize the range of motion of all of your joints.
Focus on all 7 of your major muscle groups, your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders, as well as all the joints that you routinely use at work or play. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds, and then repeat the stretch on the other side. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching. If there is pain, back off to the point where you don't feel uncomfortable and try again more slowly. Relax and breathe throughout each stretch that you perform.
Be considerate to your muscles and they will stay healthy
Finding time for regular workouts can be challenging. If you're tempted to skip warming up and cooling down, remember that the time you spend preparing for exercise and cooling down afterward may be as essential to do as the exercise itself. Give your body the time it needs to adjust to the demands of your workout.
Michael Arnone is the Tiger Fitness Ambassador for Tiger Fitness Los Angeles, the premier personal training company, fitness boot camp and fat loss experts in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. www.TigerFitnessLA.comhttp://TigerFitBootCamp.com/" target="_blank">www.TigerFitBootCamp.com
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