Warming Up

1. Cooling Down • Warming up prior to physical activity will help prepare the body and mind for the activity to come. • A warm up should be done prior to commencing physical activity to gradually raise the heart rate (HR), help mobilise the joints and warm up the muscles. • A warm up should be specific to the activity you are about to commence eg. When warming up for basketball you should perform movement patterns you are likely to perform in the game. • A typical warm up can be broken down into different parts: • Initial HR raise (1-2mins) – low level jogging, arm movements and leg movements gradually increasing range of movement. • Dynamic Stretching 6-8mins) – dynamic stretching helps increase flexibility and joint mobility by performing stretches through ‘over-exaggerated’ movements (see the section on stretching for more details) • Second HR raise (1-2mins) – The HR will naturally slow during the dynamic warm up phase so this phase aims to bring the HR back up through increased intensity in jogging, high knees, skipping, side-steps etc. • Activity specific (2-4mins) – This phase focuses on performing movement patterns that you are likely to perform in the activity to follow and should be performed above 75% max effort or at roughly ‘Game speed’ • Total time: 10-16mins (this is a guide only and timings can vary) • Cooling down and stretching prior to physical activity is just as important as performing a warm up beforehand. • A cool down allows the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to return to normal at a gradual rate. This gradual decrease in HR allows the blood being pumped to the areas of the body that required it more during exercise to return to those areas that wouldn’t have required as much. This gradual return avoids any pooling of blood which could ultimately lead to blood clots. • After physical activity, the chances are that lactic acid would have built up in the muscles. Performing static stretches prior to exercising can aid in flushing out any waste products from the muscles and as the muscles are nice and warm, can help improve flexibility. • For advice and guidance on stretching and flexibility see the section on Stretching. • A typical cool down could consist of the following: • Slow jogging down to a gradual walk (1-5mins)– bring the HR back down gradually • Static Stretching (aim for 2mins per muscle group as a guide) – aim to hold each stretch for roughly 30secs with 30sec rest in-between • Rehydrate and Re-fuel! • It is important to replace all the nutrients and fluid you may have lost through physical activity so ensure you get enough fluids and energy into your body. This will also aid in recovery. Warming Up