Warm Up and Cool Down

To keep myself physically strong (scout oath and all) I complete a seven mile run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday are strength days involving weights. With each workout, no matter if it is cardio, strength, or even the hike up the canyon, I will spend a few minutes before each workout to warm up and a few minutes after to cool down.

I didn’t fully understand the importance of warming up until I had an injury to my right leg after pushing myself to hard, to fast while running. I pulled a tendon that created pain from my ankle to my knee and resulted in me not being able to run, let alone walk without any pain, for 10 weeks. If I would have stretched and warmed up beforehand I would have reduced the risk of the strain significantly.

Warming up allows your muscles to stretch in the motion that you will eventually work them hard in. My warm up for a 7 mile run involves walking 400 meters at a slightly quick pace while swinging my arms back and forth to get the blood going. Next, I’ll start running at my slowest pace for another 800 meters (half a mile). After that, it’s off to the races with my standard pace for the remaining 6 miles.

The same goes for strength workouts. If I am planning on benching 135lbs (the bar with two 45lb weights), I’m not going to jump right in and start lifting the full 135lbs. I’ll start first by stretching and then lifting with some dumbbells that are each in the 30lbs range. Using a smaller weight with a few extra reps will get the muscles warmed and ready.

Make sure to also complete a cool down after each workout. After my 7 mile run, my cool down is the time for me to catch my breath and allow my muscles to slow down and recover. This usually take another 400 meters (one time around the track) to complete a full cool down. Also involved in the cool down is rolling and stretching out any knots or tightness within my legs. Doing a proper cool down is just as important as your warm up.

Warm Ups and Cool Down are not just for working out. The next time you are at a sporting event take a look at what the players are doing before the game? Each sport has a different warm up than the other due to different muscles being used more than others for each event.