When you are engaging in a regular exercise routine, cooling down serves as the end to your workout routine. A cool-down is when you perform an exercise more slowly to bring down your heart rate. You also can stretch during your cool-down, which can increase range of motion and flexibility in your muscles.
Dizziness and Fainting
When you are exercising at a vigorous pace, your heart is pounding, your blood pressure is slightly elevated and your lungs are expanding and contracting to keep up with the demands you are placing on your body. Stopping suddenly without cooling down can cause a sudden jolt to your body, and your heart rate may suddenly drop to accommodate for the stop in movement. Because your brain may not have yet received the message that you have stopped exercising, you can experience symptoms like dizziness and fainting. By slowing down even slightly to bring your heart rate down, your body is better able to adjust to changes in intensity level.
Blood Pooling
When you exercise, your veins -- particularly those in your legs -- get larger so blood can move more easily down to your feet. This encourages circulation and sensation and enables your legs to keep you going through that last mile. When you don't cool down, your heart rate can drop, causing the veins to get smaller -- but the blood is still there. This can cause a number of symptoms, from cramping to pain to throbbing. For a person with heart disease, this can be very dangerous because the blood vessels are already narrowed from the condition. As a result, the blood has a more difficult time getting through to your heart, which can cause tissue damage to the body.
Miss Out on Flexibility
Imagine your muscles like a ball of pizza dough. When the dough is cold, it is tough to knead -- but when it is warm, it is more flexible and moveable. Your muscles are the same way -- when they are warmed, you can stretch them further, improving your flexibility with a reduced risk for damage. If you miss out on cooling down and stretching, you could miss out on an opportunity to keep your muscles flexible.
Opposing Viewpoints
Although cooling down is standard exercise protocol in gym classes and with trainers, Dr. Carl Foster, a University of Wisonsin-La Crosse exercise physiologist interviewed in "The New York Times" says there is no real proof that a cool-down is necessary for the average person. Exercise physiologists began integrating cool-downs into their routines because of the theory that lactic acid buildup creates muscle soreness. Cool-downs prevent that buildup. However, this theory has been disproven, but Foster says the idea of a cool-down is one "we can't get rid of."
References
- myDr.com.au: Warming Up and Cooling Down for Exercise
- DrMirkin.com; Cooling Down after Exercise; Dr. Gabe Mirkin; Oct. 9, 2009
- The Stretching Institute: Cool Down Stretching Exercises
- MayoClinic.com; Aerobic Exercise: How to Warm Up and Cool Down; Mayo Clinic Staff; Feb. 26, 2011
- "The New York Times"; Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?; Gina Kolata; Oct. 13, 2009
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