Are you experiencing knee pain, shoulder discomfort, or lower back pain in the days following your workout sessions?
These discomforts can be effectively minimized or prevented by incorporating a proper cool-down routine after your workouts.
Cooling down holds significance because it helps prevent stiffness that can occur if you abruptly leave the gym after your workouts.
Without a cooldown, your body remains in a heightened state of activity, making it more vulnerable to injuries like strains and sprains. It can also impede muscle recovery, leading to increased soreness and discomfort. Furthermore, neglecting a cooldown can result in reduced joint flexibility, affecting your overall performance especially needing a certain degree of joint flexibility in sports like Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting.
If you choose to cool down, it will aid in gradually restoring normal blood circulation, preventing blood from pooling in your extremities.
An effective cool down should have a light intensity cardio, light stretches, trigger ball releasing, and eccentric exercises. You may find that you choose to do one - or two of these and switch it up daily.
Eccentric exercises can help lengthen and relax muscles after intense concentric contractions.
Example of an effective cool down:
Walking/cycling 5 minutes
Trigger ball releasing specific areas
Light stretches and/or eccentric loading
e.g of light stretches:
Quad stretches
Backstretch
lat stretch/dead hangs
e.g of eccentric loading -
Wrist Flexion and extension with dumbbell 2x6 on each arm (go slow)
Reverse Nordics (lengthening) 3x6
Lat pull down (eccentric loading) 3x6
Incorporating a well-rounded cooldown routine tailored to your needs can go a long way in promoting post-workout comfort and overall well-being.
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