By Jonathon Hardcastle
Although there are those who
know the importance of frequent exercise and have a great pre-workout
and workout routine, spend time relaxing their muscles after the
completion of a medium or intense exercise program. Even if you drink a
lot of water before or during an exercise routine, even of you do the
necessary stretching exercises to warm-up your muscles before you
involve your whole body in any kind of intentional exercise task, most
fail to realize the importance of their actions after the exercise
portion is complete.
You are probably feeling tired
or have a million things waiting your immediate attention back home, so
it's just logical for you to go back to your locker, change and get home
to do your tasks. But although you may have done the majority of your
workout routine just right, the way you treat your body in the minutes
after you exercise will directly affect your mood later. You might
experience pain from sore muscles, your muscles may not strengthen
enough to grow, or you might even be dehydrated without realizing it.
So, after you finish your last
set of exercises, spend some time cooling down. Just because your hour
at the gym has ended, this does not mean that your body can go back to a
pre-workout state without giving it any time to readjust. Thus, even if
you simply jogged for the last half hour of your exercise routine,
setting the treadmill to a comfortable -- but steady -- walking mode
will lower your heart's rate, allowing time for your muscles to come at
peace with their new state. After five minutes of this light cardio
exercise, you should perform a short stretching routine. Actually, this
stage is the most important after finishing a workout. Since human
muscles have the tendency of naturally contracting upon the completion
of any exercise, stretching prevents them from suddenly shrinking. In
fact, stretching allows your muscles to rebuild and grow bigger and
stronger each time you conclude your workout session. This will help
them receive the full benefit from your efforts. At the same time,
performing basic stretching exercises also allows your muscles to relax
and helps your body get rid of any waste substances circulating in your
blood. Finally, stretching calms your nerves and anxieties, and allows
your mind to rejuvenate. This is why stretching is recommended by
physicians after long periods of sitting at the same position, such as
working in the office or traveling by plane.
Moreover, it's important to
remember to drink water in order to hydrate your body once the workout
is over. Even if you do not feel thirsty, you need to replenish yourself
and avoid the nasty effects of dehydration.
Source: articlecircle.com
