Importance Of Cool Down After Workout & Its Benefits

In this article, you will learn what happens if you don’t do a proper cool-down session after your main workout & proper cool down benefits?

A cool down session may seem time consuming. But no matter what type of workout you are doing, or how busy your schedule is, a proper cooling down session is always important after your main workout routine.

Most people think they don’t need to cool down after jogging on the treadmill, or that it’s just fine to skip cool-down after working their core. It’s not because people hate doing cool-down, but because they want to save time. They presume, it is just the main part of the workout that matters, right?

Is Cool Down Necessary After Workout?

The fact is – it’s not only the main part of your workout that counts. The people who skip a proper cool-down after their main workout session probably are doing more harm to their bodies than they realize.

Why Cooling Down Post Workout Is So Important?

A cool-down involves doing exercises at a slower pace and lower intensity, which improves your exercise performance, prevents injuries, and helps with recovery from the workout.

Benefits of Cooling Down

A proper cooling down session after your main workout helps:

# 1

Recovery

After intense exercise routine, lactic acid builds up within our system. Your body takes time to clear it out. Cooling down exercises (like stretches) will contribute to this process of releasing and getting rid of lactic acid, helping to expedite your body’s recovery after workout.

[Read on: What & When To Eat For Better Performance & Recovery]

# 2

Reducing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Whereas muscle soreness post-workout is a normal phenomenon, but too much of DOMS can be very uncomfortable, and may prevent you from working out in future. As per a study done by California State University, moderate intensity cycling after strength exercise helped to reduce DOMS. Cooling down after intense exercise helps to relieve excessive muscle soreness, keeping you more comfortable and facilitating your body to bounce back before your next workout.

[Read on: What to do if you have Muscle Soreness After Workout]

What Happens If You Don’t Properly Cool Down After Exercise?

Blood Pooling

If we stop exercising suddenly without cooling down, our muscles will abruptly stop contracting vigorously. This can lead to pooling of blood in the lower extremities of your body, causing your blood not having enough pressure to be pumped back to your heart and brain. As a result, you may feel lightheaded and dizzy, and you may even faint.

Risk Of Injury

If you skip a proper cooling down session after your main workout, you will be susceptible to increase risk of muscle injuries such as muscle strains and tears.

During workout your muscles work very hard. So, you need to stretch them out while they are still warm – this in fitness world is called elongating the muscle fibers. As they are under strain, so get somewhat shortened, during the workout. Elongating helps recover and improve their flexibility & elasticity.

The next time you feel like you can’t spare extra ten minutes to cool down after your intensive exercise routine or running, visualize about the adverse effects it will have on your body. Those ten minutes will definitely seem worth it when you contemplate that they are helping avoid injuries to your body, improve your performance, and help your post-workout recovery.

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About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He passed Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, USA obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says: “For me age is just a number!”