Cool down exercises reduce muscle soreness and risk of injury. These are the top 9 exercises for warm down!
If you train diligently, you should also plan a few minutes for the cool down.
It helps the body remove lactate (lactic acid), relaxes the muscles and is very important for our cardiovascular system.
During this phase, the heartbeat and pulse normalize.
By the way, cool down exercises are not only good for the body. They also relax the mind and help us get back to normal temperature.
Table of contents
What and for what are Cool Down exercises?
Cool down is the phase after sports. You slowly cool the body to normal temperature. Breathing returns to normal.
Cool down exercises are perfect to bring muscles and cardiovascular system back to normal after the training session.
Thus Cool Down exercises are the opposite of Warm Up Exercises. Cool down usually consists of loose running, stretching and conscious breathing.
Cool down exercises conclude the training session or competitions.
With the exercises after the actual workout, the body is calmed. This facilitates the regeneration. Sports injuries can be reduced and in the long term, better training results should also be possible.
That's why warming up is so important!
Why warm-down exercises are not just for professional athletes
No! Even amateur athletes should definitely plan time for cooling down. The phase after training is important to build muscle mass and train endurance.
And, of course, to return the body to normal.
Whether it's a dynamic workout like Zumba, a round of running, or strength training, cool down is always very important!
Especially not so much trained amateur athletes can reduce the risk of injury.
How Cool Down exercises affect the body
Warm Up Exercises prepare the body for the upcoming workout. They help us achieve better performance and warm up the muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Cool downs are the opposite. Sufficient time should be planned for both the warm up and the cool down.
During sports, our body produces lactic acid. Cool down exercises help our body to Break down lactic acid faster, which is very good for our heart.
During great exertion, the heart muscle uses lactic acid to maintain a heart rate of about 130 beats per minute.
If you train, you must also give your body time to return to normal.
If you stop the workout quite abruptly and do not slow down the circulation, harm you to your Cardiovascular system.
Do you already know the 11 best stretching exercises for the thighs?
It can happen that your blood pressure drops faster than your pulse. This causes problems for the cardiovascular system.
Many athletes collapse if they don't do a cool down. With the exercises you can improve the rapid Prevent drop in blood pressure and specifically cool down.
With Cool Down you bend Cramps and hardening of the muscles. Also Surges can be eliminated with simple exercises.
By the way, a whole range of nutrients can support you during regeneration. L-glutamine and BCAAs are the best example. They help your body to get fit again faster.
For faster recovery after a workout, Foodspring has developed Recovery Amino Drinks. You simply mix the powder with water and drink it after the workout.
The drink contains everything that the muscles need now. There are also only natural ingredients in the Recovery Aminos from Foodspring.
If you are interested in Foodspring products, I can give you a Foodspring discount code give. With the code WGW15FS you get 15% on your order!
How cool does NOT work
Cooling down should never be misunderstood. Not even on hot summer days!
The body should cool itself down and that from the inside. Never from the outside! Jumping into the ice-cold lake is not a good idea. If the body is so heated up, it can lead to a heart attack in the worst case after the sport!
The heated body also does not react well to cold showers. You always have to allow a little time for the cool down. The body cools down slowly, but in a healthy way. Later, there is nothing to be said against a lukewarm shower.
What I can recommend to you is a fascia roller. Especially after training sessions that have put a lot of strain on your muscles, it's worth rolling out the muscles.
Cool Down Exercises: How to do it right
Especially after great athletic exertion, you should have enough time for Cool down exercises schedule.
The body is best brought back to normal in three cool-down phases. All phases have one goal: to shut down the circulation.
The three phases of the Cool Down
- You start with the typical coasting, swimming or cycling out. So very slow movements with low intensity.
- Now it gets even slower. Runners now walk slowly and steadily. Swimmers move their arms and legs in the water. And cyclists slow down. The heartbeat slows down noticeably.
- Now it's time for cool down exercises. Phase 3 consists of stretching exercises. And we do them while the muscles are still warm. They help our body to relax. Those who feel pain can use self-massage. In this process, you put your hand on the painful area. Light pressing and stroking will reduce the pain.
After a run, you should cool down, but not cool down. That means: change your clothes quickly!
This is enormously important, especially when outside temperatures are low. The cool down is then ideally performed in a warm place. This allows muscles to stretch better. The risk of injury is reduced.
If you'd like, you can watch this video. I think the exercises are a great addition to the warm down exercises I'm about to introduce you to.
Still haven't had enough or looking for some different exercise? I have a few Cool Downs that I particularly like. Check them out, for the Cool Down exercises you will also find photos, so you can imagine it better.
PS: Also before the workout you should do a few simple Warm up exercises make
The 9 best cool down exercises for warming up
You don't need any training tools or equipment for these warm-down exercises.
You can do them in the living room, garden or park. Here comes a mix of exercises for cool down after cardio and strength training.
Important: First, take a deep breath in and out through your nose until your heartbeat returns to normal. After that, it's straight to the exercises.
Cool down for the back
We start by bringing the breath into a moderate speed. All cool down exercises are suitable for this, where you breathe in and out deeply and very firmly.
Always breathe in deeply through your nose. Really deep into the belly. And out through the mouth.
Correct execution:
- Stand shoulder width apart
- Inhale deeply and let yourself tilt forward through the mouth as you exhale
- Touch the floor with your fingertips
- When you inhale you straighten up again
- Let yourself fall forward again on the exhale
- 10 repetitions
You find it hard to touch the ground? That's because your legs are shortened. But this is not a problem. There is a simple trick for that!
Finally with the fingers to the floor - How it works!
The Torso Twist as an effective cool down exercise
With this warm-up exercise you loosen the shoulders and back muscles.
Proper execution:
- Stand upright and shoulder width apart.
- Now swing the upper body left and right
- You move only the upper body. Hips and legs always remain in starting position
- The view is always forward
- For 30 seconds
By the way, this is also a great exercise if you are prone to tension at work! Especially those who have to sit a lot at work, this exercise can help well!
These 17 effective office exercises will help with tension!
Butt Kicks: warm down for the legs and buttocks
A great and easy cool down exercise for legs, arms and circulation.
Correct execution:
- Stand upright and pull the right leg towards the buttocks
- The hands swing with
- Alternate between the left and right leg
- When both legs are on the floor, the arms swing forward
- When one leg moves backward, the arms also move backward
Stretching exercise for the legs and back
The cool down not only rests the circulation, but also stretches the stressed muscles again very lightly. Important: Light stretching!
Correct execution:
- Stretch the right leg forward and bend down with the right hand
- The left hand follows as far as possible
- The leg is stretched
- The further forward you place the leg, the easier you can reach the toes.
- Hold the stretch for 15 seconds before switching sides
- While firmly inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth
- 5 repetitions per side
Warm up legs and arms after training
Cool Down is not a deadly serious thing. This warm down exercise shows that it can be fun :)
Correct execution:
- Stand upright
- Raise arms until elbows are at shoulder level
- At the same time you take a step with the left leg behind the right leg
- The leg moves forward again. The arms go down.
- Now place the right leg behind the left. Take the arms up again
- the exercise reminds of a dance step and loosens legs and arms
Cool down exercise for legs
Probably the best known of all cool down exercises is stretching the thigh. But you also improve your balance and an upright posture.
Correct execution:
- Stand upright
- Pull the left leg to the buttocks with the left hand
- Fix a point - important for balance!
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds
- Change leg
Stretch the legs after the workout
With this warm down exercise you stretch your legs and put some pressure on your thighs. After running or a full body workout you should do this cool down exercise.
Correct execution:
- Stand upright and take a step to the side with your left leg
- Squat a little and stretch the right leg sideways through
- The weight is on the left leg
- With the arms you can strengthen the exercise a little - put them on the thighs.
- Raises and lowers the buttocks 10-20 centimeters, but always remaining slightly squatted
- 30 seconds after that change sides!
That's why you should take a break!
Cool down exercise for the shoulders
After the workout, the shoulders also want to be stretched well. For this you can use a wall, a door frame, a shelf or a tree.
- Stand sideways to the tree
- The arm is stretched backwards and approximately at shoulder height
- If you are using a wall, stand as close as possible until the shoulder touches the wall
- Hold the tension for at least 30 seconds
Shoulders stretch to finish the Cool Down
And finally, we stretch the shoulders and arms again very lightly.
- Stand shoulder width apart
- Stretch the left arm through. The arm is not bent!
- With the right hand you grab the left forearm
- Pull the left arm to the right as far as possible
- Hold the tension for 15 seconds before switching sides
- 5 repetitions per side
Here's what you should keep in mind after the Cool Down
Once you have completed the cool down exercises, slowly stand up and shake your arms and legs.
If you've had a hard workout, drink a big gulp of water first.
Half an hour later you can help your body to recover. You can do this by taking a protein shake. This will accelerate the buildup of muscles.
Take a hot shower after the cool down. This relaxes the muscles and can save you from soreness.
Our conclusion
What at first sounds like extra work and a bit unusual turns out to be an important part of the workout. As a counterpart to the warm up, cool down helps us find our way back to normal body temperature.
Those who warm down regularly reap physical and mental benefits.
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