If you enjoy working out on your elliptical machine, you are doing a great job of engaging all of the muscles in your body. Getting your blood pumping will keep you getting healthier and stronger.
However, once your workout is over, it doesn't end there. If you don't properly cool down, you can become injured, or have residual soreness that won't go away.
Many people dismiss the cool down as a waste of time, or simply unimportant. In reality, it is just as important as the warm up, and if you want to stay injury free, it's vital.
Although the warm up and cool down are just as important as each other, they are important for different reasons. While the main purpose of warming up is to prepare the body and mind for strenuous activity, the latter plays a very different role.
The main aim of doing this is to promote recovery and return the body to a pre exercise, or pre work out level. During a strenuous work out your body goes through a number of stressful processes.
Muscle fibres, tendons, and ligaments get damaged, and waste products build up within your body. If performed properly, it will assist your body in its repair process.
One area this will help with is "post exercise muscle soreness." This is the soreness that is usually experienced the day after a tough work out.
Most people experience this after having a lay-off from exercise, or at the beginning of their sports season. This soreness is caused by a number of things.
Firstly, during exercise, tiny tears called micro tears develop within the muscle fibres. These micro tears cause swelling of the muscle tissues which in turn puts pressure on the nerve endings and results in pain.
Secondly, when exercising, your heart is pumping large amount of blood to the working muscles. This blood is carrying both oxygen and nutrients that the working muscles need.
When the blood reaches the muscles the oxygen and nutrients are used up. Then the force of the contracting (exercising) muscles pushes the blood back to the heart where it is re-oxygenated.
However, when the exercise stops, so does the force that pushes the blood back to the heart. This blood, as well as waste products like lactic acid, stays in the muscles, which in turn causes swelling and pain.
This process is often referred to as "blood pooling." So, the cool down helps all this by keeping the blood circulating, which in turn helps to prevent blood pooling and also removes waste products from the muscles.
This circulating blood also brings with it the oxygen and nutrients needed by the muscles, tendons and ligaments for repair. There are three key elements, or parts, which should be included to ensure an effective and complete cool down.
They include gentle exercise first, then stretching, then a re-fuel. All three parts are equally important and any one part should not be neglected or thought of as not necessary.
All three elements work together to repair and replenish the body after exercise. If you are a beginner, you should try three to five minutes of easy exercise.
Be sure that the easy exercise resembles the type of exercise that was done during your work out. For example, if your workout involved a lot of running, cool down with easy jogging or walking.
Include some deep breathing as part of your easy exercise to help oxygenate your system. Follow with about five to ten minutes of stretching.
Static stretching and PNF stretching is usually best. Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance and getting rid of those annoying sports injuries.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching will not be effective. Do not forget to re-fuel-this is one of the most important parts!
Both fluid and food are important. Drink plenty of water, plus a good quality sports drink.
The best type of food to eat straight after a workout is that which is easily digestible. Fruit is a good example.
Getting serious about your cool down and following the above examples will make sure you recover quicker from your workouts, and stay injury free. Do not forget to do this every single time, and your body will feel much better for it!
Author Resource:-
Terry Daniels is an accomplished expert in health and fitness. He recommends the bestelliptical trainer you can find in the market.
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