Warming Up and Cooling Down
Warm-ups are necessary to send extra blood to the muscles and joints, so that they can be ready to take on the work of increased activity. Without warm-ups, the muscles are stiff. They can be easily strained and stretching will be uncomfortable – and that means pain. If you prepare your muscles for a workout, you will reduce the chance of injury and aches.
Cooling down is equally important, because you need to reduce your heart rate gradually, Abruptly dropping the heart from peak activity to inactivity may cause you to become light-headed, and can result in serious problems. Your muscles should be stretched again after working out so that they will relax.
Are you ready to move?
