Exercise is a great way to combat stress, lose weight and boost energy. To get the most from your workouts, you should add warming up, cooling down and stretching to your routine. These three simple steps are proven to help prevent painful and costly injuries.
- Warming Up: Warming up allows your body time to adjust from rest to activity. Always remember to gradually increase the intensity of your warmup to reduce stress on your bones, muscles and heart.
- Cooling Down: As with warming up, cooling down should include movements similar to those in your workout, but at a gradually decreasing level of intensity.
- Stretching: After cooling down, stretching helps to build flexibility and range of motion. When stretching, use gentle and fluid movements and breathe normally. Never force a joint beyond its normal range of motion; you should not feel any pain.