Ask the Experts - Coaching
Answers from Brian Mackenzie:
Q.I have recently bought a treadmill. I am running on it for 30 minutes a day. At present, I am not quite sure what warm up and cool down exercises I should be doing. Can you advise me? Thanks
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Answer:There is no doubt that time spent on warming up and cooling down will improve your level of performance and accelerate the recovery process needed after training. As a result, I would encourage you to regard the warm up and cool down as an essential part of the training session.
Current research work detailed in Medicine & Science in Sport and Exercise 33(3), pp354-358 and Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol 15 (1): 98-101 suggests that the use of dynamic stretches - slow controlled movements through the full range of motion - are the most appropriate exercises for the warm up. By contrast, static stretches are more appropriate for the cool down.
Warm Up
Muscle stiffness is thought to be directly related to muscle injury and therefore the warm up should be aimed at reducing muscle stiffness.
Warming up should at least consist of the following:
- 5 to 10 minutes jogging - to increase body temperature
- 10 to 15 minutes dynamic stretching exercises - reduce muscle stiffness
Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. Static exercises do not reduce muscle stiffness.
Examples of dynamic exercises can be found at www.brianmac.co.uk/dynamic.htm
What are the benefits of a warm up?
Performance may be improved, as an appropriate warm up will result in an:
- Increased speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles
- Dynamic exercises reduce muscle stiffness
- Greater economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles
- Facilitated oxygen utilization by warmed muscles because haemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures
- Facilitated nerve transmission and muscle metabolism at higher temperatures; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent all out activity
- Increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscle temperatures
- Allows the heart rate get to a workable rate for beginning exercise
Cool Down
Warming down should consist of the following:
- 5 to 10 minutes jogging/walking - decrease body temperature and remove waste products from the working muscles
- 5 to 10 minutes of static stretching exercise - decrease body temperature, remove waste products from the working muscles and increases the range of movement.
Static stretches are more appropriate to the cool down as they help muscles to relax and increase their range of movement.
Examples of static exercises can be found at www.brianmac.co.uk/stretch.htm
What are the benefits of a cool down?
An appropriate cool down will:
- aid in the dissipation of waste products - including lactic acid
- reduce the potential for Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
- reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of venous blood at the extremities
- reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood
- allows the heart rate to return to it's resting rate
