Looking after your body is really important as you ramp up your movement or exercise. As you start to see progress with training, you may want to do more and more. This is great! But it’s important to think about your body and look after it, both before and after your workout, otherwise you may run the risk of injury (which is the last thing we want).
Warm-ups and cool-downs are important for any sport, exercise or fitness training program. Warming up helps prepare your body for physical activity and also helps you perform at your best. Cooling down after exercise allows your heart rate and breathing to return to normal and brings your muscles back to a resting state; it may also help to reduce aches and pains the next day.
Here’s how to warm-up and cool-down for your next workout.
10 warm-ups for your next workout
Warming your muscles up helps to prepare them for the movement and demands you are about to place on them. RAMP is a common tool used when designing warm ups; it stands for raise, activate, mobilise and potentiate.
The best warm up will depend on what type of exercise you are preparing for. Here are 10 warm-ups ideas to get you started:
Reverse lunges, lateral lunges, marching step-ups, squat jumps
Potential benefits: increasing heart rate, activating the glutes, quads and hamstrings as well as for balance.
Jogging on the spot, jogging with high knees, cycling if a stationary bike is available
Potential benefits: increasing heart rate and warming up the lower body muscles.
Medicine ball throws
Potential benefits: switching on the nervous system and warming the upper body muscles
Push ups against a wall
Potential benefits: warming the upper body muscles such as chest, arms and shoulders.
Mountain climbers
Potential benefits: increasing heart rate, working the core muscles, warming the lower and upper body.
5 ways to cool down
Cooling down is often overlooked, yet it is as important as a good warm-up. Similarly, the best cool down will depend on what exercise you have completed. Here are 5 ideas to try:
- Walking for 2-3 minutes
- Knee-to-chest stretch
- Standing quadriceps stretch
- Standing hamstring stretch
- Cross-body shoulder stretch
It’s so easy to skip these steps as you are energetically bounding into your routine. Take a moment to ease yourself into, and out of, your exercise session and your body will thank you for it.
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Reviewed by Healthylife health experts July 2024
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