When you don't have much time to exercise, it's tempting to skip the cooldown. Tempting, but not wise. Read why the cool-down makes the difference.
When you've trained hard, your muscles can cramp. During the cool-down you do a number of exercises that do not require much effort. This way your body gets the chance to cool down, your muscles get stronger and it reduces the risk of injuries. It is important that you do your cool-down in the right way, otherwise it will not be as effective as you would like.
Tips
– When you do cardio training on a machine, the cool-down is usually built into the program. So don't stop before you reach the end of the program, then you're good.
– Reduce your effort before starting the cooldown. The last 3 to 5 minutes of your workout you already reduce your speed so that your heart rate can decrease.
- Don't forget to stretch. Your muscles are warm after training, so now is the time to train the flexibility of your muscles.