All and any of the physical therapists involved in helping you return to your favorite sport will emphasize the necessity to warm up before you begin and cool down afterwards. Failure to adhere to these simple rules may set you back further than you imagine as you look to return from injury through rehabilitation.
Keeping Your Rehabilitation On Track
Warming up your body, your muscles and your blood takes just a few minutes before you begin your favorite sport or exercise. A short call down period after you are finished is just as important.
The warming up is important because it tells your blood to flow correctly around your body which is being warned that you are getting ready for exercise. Loose and warm muscles work better for your body if you complete a steady warmup before the exercise begins.
Your physical therapists will explain about the different types of warm-ups that you should consider for the sport or activity you are about to undertake. Some are more vigorous than others; the warm-ups that is, not the physical therapists.
From a simple walk to a few minutes on a treadmill or elliptical trainer, that may be all that you need to prepare your body.
Failing to carry out a warmup before you exercise may setback your rehabilitation because you may pull muscles or stretch ligaments too far when you try to move into an activity exercise before your body is warm enough.
Why Cooling Down Is Important
The activity of cooling down after exercising helps reduce your heart rate and blood pressure to the normal zones after heightened activity. Your body will appreciate a gradual calling down process after the exercise because ending the exercise hastily may force you to become dizzy and a little light headed.
The calling down period also allows your muscles to relax. Without this relaxation, the tension and length within the muscles may settle incorrectly and it may take hours, or days, to fall back into a relaxed position, which is why many people feel ‘tight’ in their muscles, legs or other areas you have exercised after a vigorous performance.
Any warmup or cooling down should be gradual so that your muscles are learning to work with you. If you stretch them while they’re cold, you can cause injuries that may stop your exercise work for days or weeks.
It is important to have a private discussion with your physical therapists to work out a formal plan for your warming up and cooling down periods around exercise or sport. There’s a very good reason that professional athletes always warm up and cool down after their activities and exactly the same reasons apply to you.
The team of physical therapists at Suburbanortho.com will be pleased to discuss suggested warming up and cooling down exercises as you return to your favorite sports, gym sessions or other exercising activities. You can follow them on Twitter for latest news and updates!
