What is the best way to cool down after working out?
I tend to do about 5-10 min of stretching to cool down after a workout. Stretching will help maintain flexibility as muscle mass increases and allow your muscles to re-adjust to normal activity. Remember to breathe into the stretch, hold the stretch for at least 15 secs, and be sure to stretch the major muscle groups.
6 Answers
I agree with Ben it really depends on what type of exercises you are doing. Something important to remember is what ever you just got doing is to keep those muscles active, obviously the intensity will not be there. The reason why you do a cool down is just that to cool the muscles down from the intense workout, and to help decrease the lactic acid that has developed over your workout. Weather it be doing a light jog, push ups, or of few laps in the pool it doesn't really matter what you do as a cool down, just make sure you do them within 10 minutes of completion of your workout.
Also your cool down doesn't need to be very long, 5-10 minutes tops.
I tend to do about 5-10 min of stretching to cool down after a workout. Stretching will help maintain flexibility as muscle mass increases and allow your muscles to re-adjust to normal activity. Remember to breathe into the stretch, hold the stretch for at least 15 secs, and be sure to stretch the major muscle groups.
I run on a D1 track team. We finish up the workouts with stretching and a lot of ice. Dynamic stretching is great, hard to explain here but it is worth looking up. Some guys do ice baths, but just applying plastic bags of ice works too.
Icing isn't fun right after a work out, but the improved circulation right after a workout is important. You feel the difference the next day.
Stretch, drink some water, and walk outside. Not be literal, but if it's at night when I exercise, it's cool outside.
drink water? or chocolate milk, or sit in an air conditioned cube such as a room or car, cold showers work to.
It will depend slightly on what you're doing during your workout. After upper body workout (arms, shoulder, chest, back) I find it helpful to hop on a rowing machine and row for a mile as fast as I can and then gradually work my way down.
For lower body or a cardio workout, I find jogging around the track and slowing to a walk is a good way to cool down.
Either way, stretching whatever muscles you just worked is always a good idea.