What warms up must warm down

Most of us are familiar with the importance of warming up before training, but how many of us warm down?

 

Trainer Gary Himing believes that a critical window of opportunity exists straight after we put the weights back on the rack.

 

"After a session of resistance training, it's important to allow the temperature and heart rate to drop slowly by engaging in either stretching or some light cardio," Gary says.

 

"Stretching is ideal while the muscles are still warm. This reduces muscle soreness, prevents stiffening and can assist in keeping the muscles elongated. When you train with heavy weights, a build up of micro scar tissue occurs in the muscles. Stretching helps alleviate this.

 

"Most importantly, stretching aids overall flexibility, especially around the spine, shoulders and hips. For healthy muscles and prevention of calcification in advanced years, it's important to ensure smooth mobility of the joints. The younger you start, the better.

 

"As for cardio after weight training, this can also help burn extra calories and ease the decline in heart rate, preventing blood and nutrients from rapidly leaving the muscle cells."

 

A former competition bodybuilder, Gary recommends warming down as part of a holistic approach to training and instills this in clients who are just starting out.

 

"When starting at the gym for the first time, a structured program developed by a professional coach or trainer with appropriate preparation phase (warm up), progressive resistance program and finishing phase (warm down) is advisable.

 

"While your goal may be purely to build muscle and/or burn fat, it's important not to leave other aspects of health and fitness behind in your pursuit of this. The higher intensity at which you train, the greater the need to focus on every facet of health and wellbeing, including flexibility and heart health."