Cooling Down!!

How many of you hit a workout hard, take a lap around the gym while you catch your breath, and then jump in the car to head home?  I will admit there are times I am guilty of that. Most of us don’t want to stay at the gym any longer than we have to. But not cooling down can end up causing you more issues in the end.

Avoid Dizziness

When you exercise, the heart works at a higher rate to pump blood throughout the body. Since most exercise includes the lower body, the blood will be pumped more to the lower area. If you stop suddenly, the blood pools in the extremities causing an insufficient amount of blood to get back to the brain. This causes dizziness.

Avoid Soreness and Recover Faster

After a shorter more intense workout, your body gets full of waste products (lactic acid) and toxins. Cooling down helps circulate oxygenated blood through your muscles, helping remove the waste. This will reduce the potential for DOMS (delayed onset muscles soreness) and help you recover faster.

How to Cool Down

-          Row! The rower is a great cool down tool because it is total body. Do 10 min at a slower pace

-          Jog/Walk/Bike/Jump rope. Again, 10 min at a slower pace.

-          Stretch – hit all major muscle groups

 

Enjoy Life - Workout!

Mandy

 

Tips to Get and Stay Fit

Mandy’s Top 5 Tips For Getting and Staying Fit

1)      Set a realistic goal. Realistic is the key word here. If you are 100 lbs over weight, then your goal should be to lose 25 lbs, not 100. If you shoot too high right away you will never feel like you are succeeding.  When goal setting think about the following subject and where you could improve.

-          Strength

-          Percent of body fat

-          Eating habits

-          Cardio health

-          General health (go get a physical)

2)      Surround yourself with friends and family that are supportive! If people around you don’t think you can succeed, that will rub off on you. If your friends are always trying to talk you in to cheating on your diet or skipping a workout to hang out, they are not good friends and need to work on their own issues.

3)      Focus equal attention to nutrition and diet. Some people say diet is more important, but I feel they complement each other. When you are eating healthy foods, you energy is higher and you feel better about working out. When you are working out, you want to keep your diet clean.

4)      Keep it exciting! Keep a list of all the things you enjoy doing. When you find yourself in a rut, look at the list and mix it up. If you get bored, it will be easier to skip a workout or start heading back down the road of excuses.

5)       Speaking of excuses, STOP!!! All excuses are bullshit and will only hold you back. Yes you can make time to be healthy. Yes you can afford to go walk in your neighborhood. And no you don’t have to sacrifice time with your family. Why? Everyone in your house should be active. Find things you can do together.

Enjoy Life - Workout!
Mandy