Ask an inSHAPE Personal Trainer. Is it ever OK to SKIP the Cool Down?

The cool down is a topic that hasn’t been researched as much as the warm up or actual workout, and there’s some confusion about whether or not it’s a necessary component to a well-rounded fitness routine.  The Health blog on the New York Times included a post today about stretching and cooling down. Based on an Australian research study, the overall conclusion is that it had little impact on the alleviation of muscle soreness after a workout. Still, you need to make an informed decision based on your personal health goals, exercise regimen, and time, so read on for our perspective.

The Cool Down
We all skip it when we’re short on time. It’s usually the last thing we think about when we only have 30 minutes to workout. Wouldn’t you rather use those last 5-10 precious minutes burning calories instead of slowing down? Well, it’s certainly not the end of the world if you don’t cool down after a workout. How different do you feel on the days you blow off your cool down anyway? Think about it, you probably don’t even notice a difference in the way your body feels. How many of you actually go to your couch or desk and immediately sit down, within 5 minutes after a workout? I’d guess none of you. We usually end up “cooling down” by walking to the locker room, to the car, back to the office, etc… We don’t consider this a cool down, but it certainly is.

Overall, cooling down is really just continuing movement at a lower intensity so that the blood flow can be restored after intense exercise. Blood can pool in the legs if you simply stop short following a rigorous workout.  You can also experience dizziness as a result of oxygen imbalance, which is prevented by slowing down before stopping. This is the only real problem with skipping the cool down. However, you’d have to be working at a very high intensity (above 85% of your maximum heart rate) to experience these conditions. Most people don’t push themselves this hard, so it’s probably unlikely you’d feel any adverse effects. We certainly don’t promote doing this, but again, it won’t kill you! It would be great if we all had the extra time to “slow down” – but unfortunately in this fast paced world we live in it’s always, rush, rush, rush.

Cool Down Myths
One myth about cool down is that is reduces lactic acid build up, which in turn reduces muscle soreness. This is not true. Lactate is almost immediately oxidized after a workout (within one hour post exercise). It doesn’t linger or cause muscle soreness. In fact, lactic acid helps fuel the body not break it down – it’s another source of energy in endurance training. The muscle soreness you experience after a tough workout is a result of DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness. These are microscopic tears in the muscle fibers that occur after performing a movement you aren’t used to or after eccentric activity (movements that cause muscles to contract while it lengthens). These tears don’t manifest themselves until about 24 hours + after a workout. DOMS is usually felt at the start of an exercise program or after doing new activities or moves your body hasn’t been exposed to before.

Benefits of Stretching
Stretching is generally considered part of the cool down routine. At inSHAPE, we believe that there’s a place for stretching. However, it doesn’t always have to be at the dead end of your routine. You can stretch throughout your workout. Especially if it’s a strength workout, stretch between exercises if you feel tight. You don’t have to designate the last 5-10 minutes to stretching, although you do want your body to be warmed up before elongating a muscle, so you don’t risk a tear. Stretching increases range of motion and helps maintain a balanced body. It helps to relax your muscles and restore them to their resting length.

So the bottom line is that your body is likely getting the slow down period it needs physically, but a few exta minutes of walking or slow movement is a great way to end a workout. And try to take a few moments for stretching the muscles that you worked. Build this time into the workout at various times, so that you don't feel guilty when you rush off to the next thing on your schedule.

Holiday Tip - Part III: Skip the Gym!
Are you getting your seven hours of good sleep and staying hydrated? We hope so, and this week, the week before Thanksgiving, we offer you this piece of advice: forget the hour and a half (or more) you need to get to the gym or studio, workout, and get back. Start each day with a 15-20 minute circuit at home, take the stairs, and work a few floor exercises into the end of your day.

You can hit the ground running with an intense program in January, but take these final six weeks of the year to enjoy the time away from exercise facilities. A short barefoot workout at home in the mornings is a truly excellent way to start the day. Give it a try just this week - our blog is chock full of various in home routinues that you can do, or send an email to kim@inshapellc.com, and we can arrange to get a set to you for just $4.95.

By taking a few flights of stairs every day, you also get the chance to boost your metabolism and build strength in about a minute. Think of these little trips as an incentive for the added calories you will likely start consuming next week. Holiday meals, dinner parties, cocktail celebrations are all coming up, so any chane you get to burn a little more, take it.

Finally, most of us take a few moments to catch up with a loved one, watch the news, and/or immerse ourselves into a movie or tv show at the end of the day. Use 5-10 minutes of this time to lie down on the floor, stretch out, do some crunches and leg lifts. No need to get the heart rate into an aerobic zone or push yourself - simply move the body around (you could also have sex for a little late day fitness!) and end your day as well as you started it. 

 inSHAPE is committed to your successfully active lifestyle, and if you need any assistance getting started with a fitness program or nutritional regimen, please let us know. Give us a call (212.362.1001) or send an email (info@inshapellc.com) so that we can help you and your heart stay fit and healthy. Click here for last week's edition, and check out our blog for a new in home workout each week.

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