Why Warming Up and Cooling Down Are Important in Exercise

Michele Zormeier, MD, serves as the physician-owner of Zormeier Cosmetic Surgery & Longevity Center. In this capacity, Dr. Zormeier and her team offer a wide range services from laser and cosmetic surgery to hormone replacement and nutritional medicine. Dedicated to maintaining an active lifestyle, Michele Zormeier, MD, engages in a healthy exercise routine each morning. 

Many people who exercise regularly have heard of the importance of warming up and cooling down to prevent injury, but often they don’t understand how these activities benefit the body. In both situations, a person reduces the intensity of their workout and focus on maintaining activity at a slower pace. Five to ten minutes each is generally recommended.

A good warm up is designed to get the muscles ready for a full workout. It improves muscle flexibility and temperature and helps individuals gradually increase their heart and breathing rate. In addition to that, good warm ups prepare the central nervous system for a workout and ensure the body’s movement are coordinated. Ideally, warm ups should consist of whatever activity a person plans on doing for their workout.

Meanwhile, cool downs help a person reduce their heart rate gradually after exercising. It’s responsible for regulating blood flow and reducing blood pressure. Beyond that, it gives people the perfect chance to stretch their joints and muscles so their limbs don’t tighten up after working out. For most athletes, a warm up is far more important and should never be skipped or cut short. However, competitive endurance athletes may benefit more from a cool down after every workout.