Winter weather is a great time to exercise, to help keep you warm.
In our education sessions, and individual consultations, we aim to inform you of a variety of safe types of exercise. It is important to remember that all exercise programs, including a walking program, need to have 3 parts:
- Warm up phase and stretching.
- Conditioning phase.
- Cool down and stretching.
Often, the important phases of warm up and cool down are forgotten, yet they are very important, especially for people starting an exercise program.
Warm up:
Warm up is gentle whole body exercise to encourage a gradual increase in body temperature and heart rate. It consists of several minutes of easy pace exercise, usually walking, plus stretching.
Stretching aims to:
- Improve blood flow to muscles.
- Prevent injury by improving the range of motion around each joint.
- Improve coordination between muscle groups.
- Enhance each muscles performance.
- Improve relaxation and recovery and thus decrease the chance of soreness or tightness in a muscle.
Correct stretching is performed after warm up, so muscles are not cold. Each stretch should be performed slowly, with relaxed breathing. Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds, and do not ‘bounce'. In our sessions, I will teach you the most important stretches for you.
Conditioning Phase:
This phase is variable for each person, and is discussed in consultation with you.
Cool Down:
Cool down is the gradual conclusion to your exercise session, allowing a decrease in body temperature and heart rate. Again, it consists of several minutes of gentle exercise, and stretching.
The purpose of cool down is:
- To prevent blood pooling in the muscles post exercise, and reduce the risk of fainting.
- To prevent a rapid decrease in blood pressure
- To reduce the possibility of muscle soreness and spasm post exercise.
Even if "cool down" is brief, it is an important way to finish your exercise!
Enjoy exercising, and I look forward to seeing you at the rooms!
Gretel Young, Physiotherapist