When most of us finish our workout the only thing we want to do is stop and relax. However, if you suddenly go from working out to sitting like a lump, you are increasing your chances for injury and post-workout pain. Just as you warm up before you exercise with stretches, you’re going to need to cool down the same way. Here are some tips to help you start cooling down properly after exercising.

1. Keep moving.

   Your heart rate will be up after your workout and you may even feel a bit dizzy if you’re just getting started in a fitness routine. This of course leads many of us to sit down and try to find equilibrium. The best thing you can do however is keep moving. This gives your heart a chance to slow down normally and you’ll be working out your tired muscles and giving them a chance to relax. Try walking for twenty minutes following a workout at a nice slow pace.

2. Slowing down during exercise.

   One of the easiest ways to incorporate a cool down period is to work it into your exercise routine. This is great if you are on a limited time schedule and do not have an extra twenty minutes for a proper cool down. At the end of your exercise routine start slowing down your movements and making them more deliberate. Work your final stretches into your exercise routine and finish. At the end of your workout, instead of having a racing heart, it should return to its normal rate.

3. Start stretching.

   Once you’re done with your workout, you’re going to need to do a few languorous stretches to cool down. Think about the movements that cats make to inspire you. Hold each stretch for around 15 seconds, or longer if it feels good. You don’t have to worry about touching your toes or doing stretches that really pull your muscles. What you’re doing here is working out the kinks and giving them a chance to return to normal slowly.

4. Use the right fuel pre-workout.

   One of the best ways to recover after exercise is to make sure that you have the right fuel in your body beforehand. A lack of salt, potassium and protein can lead to muscle cramps. Try to eat about a half hour before your workout. We’re not talking a full seven course meal here, but a nice little 100 calorie, well balanced snack that will give your body what it needs to workout. You’ll find that you feel a lot better when you’re done. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water as well, since you will have lost quite a bit during your workout routine.

5. Dress properly.

   One of the biggest mistakes people make is going right from the gym to their car, no matter what the weather is, in their workout clothes. If it is cold out, you’re going to be shocking your body and you’ll be more likely to experience cramps. You’ve got to dress the right way for the weather to make sure you cool down slowly and properly.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-07-21 05:27:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related Posts

• 4 Heart Healthy Exercises If you want to get on the road to a healthy and full life, you need to focus not only on losing weight, but also doing exercises that are going to benefit your most powerful organ, your heart. It may be tough at first, but it's important that you......
• The Top Five Ways To Hurt Yourself at the Gym While most of us don’t go into a workout with the hopes of ending up injured, it can happen. Workout related injuries are very common, especially if you are doing it on your own, without the benefit of an instructor or trainer. However, you can minimize your chances for injury......
• Ramp Up Your Metabolism Naturally If you want to jump start your weight loss efforts, you're going to need to focus on your metabolism. For most of us, our metabolisms have either been slowed by yo-yo dieting or even genetics and it can be hard to get them back again. However, it is not......
• Role of Exercise in a Diet Sometimes people wonder about the role of exercise in a diet. They ask if it is really necessary, and they wonder if using an extreme diet alone can lead to weight loss without the need for exercising. There may be a few who question to role of exercise in a......
• How to Exercise When It's Hot Summer is almost here and if you're trying to get healthy and start exercising more, there are plenty of reasons to get discouraged and stop. If you're not used to exercising in hot weather, it's also very easy to get sick. Let's look at some ways that you can......

Related Websites

• Preventing Common Golf Injuries Although golf is a non-contact sport, there are still plenty of different ways that you can injure yourself on the course. Many players don’t look at golf as a form of exercise, and as such, they don’t take the proper precautions to ensure that they do not strain their muscles......
• Are Biofuels Worse For The Environment Than Oil? Let me state for the record that I have been against the development of biofuels for a long time. I think it is just the taking of one kind of burning fuel and replacing it with another, and in the mean time nothing changes. We are still extracting something from......
• Some Frequently Asked Questions about Mountaineering [caption id="attachment_339" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Mountaineering isn't Hiking"][/caption]For many people, the two terms "hiking" and "mountaineering" are two interchangeable words. In reality, however, they are entirely different things. That's why many hikers who want to start moving into the world of mountaineering don't realize that their newfound passion might actually be......
• Oooops It looks like I just got myself a girlfriend. It all started last Thursday...... *^*�*$*%*^*&*"*$)"*$&""&$*@?/?@'@@�%^(*&(&*So Thursday night in Notre Dame...Joss and I are working....It's a banger...Suddenly the Mexican (from here known as Mariatzel) walks into the bar and comes over...She's lost the others and thinks she'll wait for them here.......
• BBC - The Truth about Food - How To Stay Young and Beautiful [pro-player width='530' height='353' type='FLV']http://www.eattolive.theroot2life.com/videos/Truth_About_Food_How_To_Stay_Young_and_Beautiful.flv[/pro-player] In tonight’s fact-filled feast, discover how the mere color of some foods can fight the aging process. How to Stay Young and Beautiful reveals how eating tomatoes can help stop the progression of wrinkles, and looks at whether or not a stringent detox diet really does......

Online Stores

• Body Mass Measurement Monitors Pedometers Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness
• Heart Rate Monitors Monitors Pedometers Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.

Time the change your life? No longer content to live a sedentary lifestyle and revel in couch potatoism? Click here to download the 31 page the 100% FREE eBook "How to Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle."

Categories:

carbohydrates, exercise, proteins, water, wellness

Tags:

cats, equilibrium, exercise one, exercise routine, fitness routine, heart rate, kinks, limited time, muscles, pre workout, racing heart, right fuel, slow pace, stretches, time schedule, toes, twenty minutes