Warm-Up, Stretch, & Cool-Down

“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy,

and wise.”~Benjamin Franklin

Why Warm-Up?

• Prepares your body physically and psychologically

• Increases blood flow to your muscles and increases your body temperature.– Achieve optimal performance – Reduce the risk of injury

How do you Warm-Up?

• The warm-up should last about five minutes.

• Slow walking is a good warm-up for a moderate-paced walk.

• Brisk walking is a good warm-up for more vigorous activity.

Warm-Up Conditions

• Make sure your warm-up does the following:– Increases heart rate– Increases breathing rate– Elevates body temperature– Utilizes muscles you will use in the

upcoming activity– Takes your joints through a full rage of

motion needed for the upcoming activity

Stretching

• Light stretching should be done after the warm-up

• Deep stretching after the entire workout• Remember to breathe when you

stretch!• Benefits of stretching, include:

– Improving and maintaining joint range of motion

– Helps reduce risk of injury– Helps reduce soreness– Promotes better posture– Improves circulation– Relieves stress

Warm-Up Stretching

• After the warm-up, stretch the muscles that you will be using during your workout.

• Each stretch should last 10-30 seconds.

• Going on a Walk? Concentrate on stretching your…

– Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, adductors, hip flexors, calves, and lower back.

Workout

• Remember that your workout should be at a moderate intensity:– The ‘Talk Test’– Your Target Heart Rate Range

(between 60% and 85% of your maximal heart rate)

Cool-Down

• Never skip this step of your workout!• If you abruptly stop an intense

activity, you risk:– Increasing your chance of experiencing

heart arrhythmias– Hindering the removal of cellular

waste from your muscles, increasing the likelihood of muscle soreness

– Blood pooling– Becoming light-headed

How do you Cool-Down?

• Slow the intensity of the activity you are doing

• Gradually slow your pace down to a walk

• End the cool-down by doing some deep stretching.– Focus on the muscles that you were using

during your workout, this will help reduce the incidence of stiffness or soreness later.

Cool-Down Stretching

• After the entire workout, stretch the whole body.

• Make sure to focus on the muscles that were used during the workout.

• Each stretch should last 20-30 seconds and be repeated.

Cool-Down Benefits

• Slowly ending your workout gives your body a chance to:– Relax– Decrease your heart rate– Decrease your breathing rate

• Reduces potential for muscle soreness

• Reduces chance of dizziness or fainting

Power Panther ProfessionalsSchool-Wide

• Announce to students that teachers will be focusing on increasing their levels of physical activity. Encourage students to “catch” teachers doing something physically active.

• Take students on at least a 10-minute walk.– Encourage incorporating a warm-up,

stretching, and a cool-down during the walk.

• Incorporate physical activity into a lesson plan.

• Ask students about their favorite activities including warm-up, stretches, and cool-downs.

• Sponsor a school-wide fitness activity like a fitness night or an intramural league.