Exercise is one of the cornerstones of physical fitness and health, but it needs to be done in ways that minimize the risk of damaging your body. Engaging in intense exercise can be very good for your heart, but going from a resting heart rate to heart workloads near or above 80 percent can be very dangerous if the heart is pushed too far, too fast. In older individuals, heart damage, including an increased risk of heart attack, is a potential danger for individuals that don't ease into and out of workouts. Even when a workout is over, cooling down can help your heart wind down, reducing the strain on this organ.
Step 1
Keep moving after the end of your workout. Don't plop onto the ground or into a chair upon the completion of an intense interval or training program -- instead, walk around or jog, even if it's only to the water fountain.
Step 2
Spend 10 to 15 minutes moving around, allowing your heart to ease back down from its high output levels. If you were running, taking a slow, half-mile jog can be effective, but walking is also a good option. MayoClinic.com recommends walking around for 10 minutes to cool down. Swimmers may consider an easy backstroke, and cyclists might want to continue riding at a low rotations-per-minute output. The workload should be very light, easing your heart to a beats-per-minute rate that is only slightly higher than your resting heart rate.
Step 3
Stretch your muscles after a workout. This gives your heart further time to calm down, and it also helps relax your muscles, preventing spasms and tight muscles that have become cold and run the risk of being strained or torn. Stretch muscles for at least 10 seconds each, paying particular attention to the muscle groups primarily used in your workout. This stretching will also improve your muscles' flexibility.
Tips and Warnings
- Some sources, such as an October 14, 2009, article in the New York Times, discussing the merits of cooling down, argue that cooling down may not have much scientific backing. However, medical websites such as MayoClinic.com still endorse this procedure as a necessary and healthy part of exercise.
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