How to Properly Cool Down After a Workout

The last thing that you want to do when you’re finished with an exercise is to engage in slightly more exercise. But not cooling down after a workout can actually cause more problems than you know. Cooling down is critical to proper recovery and injury reduction. If you’re someone who generally stops your workout as soon as it’s done, here’s why and how to properly cool down after a workout.

 

What Does It Mean to Cool Down After a Workout?

 

Cooling down after a workout refers to the act of gradually slowing your heart rate and slowing your breathing after you’ve engaged in fairly vigorous exercise. Much like you wouldn’t just stop flying once you’ve reached your destination instead of gradually landing the plane, you shouldn’t end your workout with whatever exercise you were previously doing.

 

A cooldown offers many benefits, including reducing the amount of lactic acid in your body that leads to soreness, improving recovery time, and helping your body return to normal as well as all stretched-out and relaxed prior to continuing with your day.

 

How to Properly Cool Down After a Workout

 

The concept of cooling down isn’t hard to grasp, but figuring out how to cool down can be challenging if you’re new to incorporating a cooldown after your fitness sessions. When you cool down, you want to pick exercises that are closely related to the exercises you were doing. For example, if you decided to tackle some HIIT cardio for the day, cooling down with some jogging or light stretches post-exercise is the best way to slow your heart rate and relax your muscles before you throw the towel in for the day.

 

Another common question is, how long do you need to cool down? The answer is different for everybody. After your workout, you will typically feel strained and have a higher heart rate than normal. See how long it takes you to get back to baseline and to feel relaxed so that you can tackle your day without feeling overly sore or amped. For some people, a four to five-minute cooldown will suffice. For others, cooling down for as much as 10 to 15 minutes may be a better option. As with exercise, everyone has different needs, so it’s best to listen to your body and go with whatever it requires.

 

Different Ways to Cool Down After a Workout

 

There are tons of ways to cool down after a workout. If you’re engaging in cardio, marching in place, jogging, or skipping rope can help you cool down. If you’re lifting weights, light yoga and stretching can help you support your muscles and cool down. Activities like swimming can be done with a gradual reduction in intensity until you’re back to normal. You might even employ a mix of cooldown methods to get the most from your cooldown sessions.

Cooling down is something that people don’t do often enough, especially as they get older. Improve your workout and aid your recovery by using the guidance above! You’ll meet your goals in no time.