Only an inexperienced runner would ignore the importance of the warm-up and cool down. The warm-up helps your body gradually become prepared for what it's about to endure and the cool down does just the opposite.
A person would not go out to a fancy restaurant without taking a few minutes to get dressed up, so you shouldn't start your running workout or marathon without preparing yourself also. The warm-up is really just a small amount of exercise with some muscle stretches done afterward.
You shouldn't stretch first because your muscles are still cold and it won't be as effective. The goal of your warm-up is to get your entire circulatory system ready for action. Your muscles will get a hefty dose of well oxygenated blood and will pump up and be ready to go for the main event.
You see, the warm-up gets your body ready for the impact received when you are running. Running with cold muscles will male you more prone to getting injured. You could get strains and sprains that could ruin your day. A good warm-up for runners is to jog at a mild pace for 5-10 minutes and follow that up with about 5 minutes of deep muscle stretching.
Cooling down isn't quite as vital as the warm-up but you really should still do it. A good way to make sure you are doing a proper cool down routine is to simply repeat what you did as a warm-up. If you have been running briskly for 30 minutes or longer, when you are finished, gradually slow your pace to a slow jog.
You could even just walk for 5-10 minutes also. Finish this up with another 5 minutes of stretching and you're good to go. The cool down helps your body return to its normal state at a gradual pace instead of suddenly.Some people can become lightheaded or even dizzy if they suddenly stop running and aren't completely hydrated so it's best to avoid that situation altogether.
If you are dilligent in your warm-ups and cool downs you won't get hurt or injured nearly as often. The common injuries will be very rare for you. Always drink lots of water before you run or do any exercise. You should also hydrate yourself during and after the run to keep your performance up. - 15438
A person would not go out to a fancy restaurant without taking a few minutes to get dressed up, so you shouldn't start your running workout or marathon without preparing yourself also. The warm-up is really just a small amount of exercise with some muscle stretches done afterward.
You shouldn't stretch first because your muscles are still cold and it won't be as effective. The goal of your warm-up is to get your entire circulatory system ready for action. Your muscles will get a hefty dose of well oxygenated blood and will pump up and be ready to go for the main event.
You see, the warm-up gets your body ready for the impact received when you are running. Running with cold muscles will male you more prone to getting injured. You could get strains and sprains that could ruin your day. A good warm-up for runners is to jog at a mild pace for 5-10 minutes and follow that up with about 5 minutes of deep muscle stretching.
Cooling down isn't quite as vital as the warm-up but you really should still do it. A good way to make sure you are doing a proper cool down routine is to simply repeat what you did as a warm-up. If you have been running briskly for 30 minutes or longer, when you are finished, gradually slow your pace to a slow jog.
You could even just walk for 5-10 minutes also. Finish this up with another 5 minutes of stretching and you're good to go. The cool down helps your body return to its normal state at a gradual pace instead of suddenly.Some people can become lightheaded or even dizzy if they suddenly stop running and aren't completely hydrated so it's best to avoid that situation altogether.
If you are dilligent in your warm-ups and cool downs you won't get hurt or injured nearly as often. The common injuries will be very rare for you. Always drink lots of water before you run or do any exercise. You should also hydrate yourself during and after the run to keep your performance up. - 15438
About the Author:
Corin Johnson is the owner of a community for Distance Runners Learn more about distance running and readhis blog. "Some People Run to Train. We Train to Run!"
