Importance of the "cool down?"

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mrp56839
mrp56839 Posts: 159 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started running a few weeks ago. The program I'm on says to allow for a 10 minute warm up and a 10 minute cool down. The warm up, I can understand and I do allow for a solid 5 minutes to get things loosened up and moving (I'd go longer if I felt stiff, but after 5, I'm feeling ready). But the cool down is what I don't really see the point of. Is there some benefit to the 10 minute cool down?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
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    I just started running a few weeks ago. The program I'm on says to allow for a 10 minute warm up and a 10 minute cool down. The warm up, I can understand and I do allow for a solid 5 minutes to get things loosened up and moving (I'd go longer if I felt stiff, but after 5, I'm feeling ready). But the cool down is what I don't really see the point of. Is there some benefit to the 10 minute cool down?
    There's really no scientific evidence (it's not really been studied though) to back it. The main issue being passed in the fitness industry is that if you're exercising hard and suddenly stop, then blood can pool in your lower extremities and cause you to faint or pass out due to lack of blood to the heart.
    However, NFL football players (many who should be more susceptible to this) do explosive movements, then go sit on the bench after a series is up, so it's hard to say.
    IMO, just a walk in a circle for a few minutes (say 5) as your heart rate restores to normal should be enough.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    My input would be: Not very important.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    For me at my age, I do the cool down so I don't give myself a heart attack. LOL
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I don't run, but I do know that if I stop in the middle of a P90X workout without doing a cool down I will get light headed and nauseous...however, I have very low blood pressure, so that may be a factor...listen to your body, maybe you don't need the cool down, or maybe you can shorten it to 2 min...some of the P90X cool downs are only 3 min and they work fine for me...
  • corrinnebrown
    corrinnebrown Posts: 348
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    I notice if I don't "cool down" I am much more sore the next day.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    i enjoy the cool down after cardio, leaving the gym while huffing and puffing and red faced sounds less fun than strolling out after a nice cool down walk and lots of water.
  • watchhillgirl
    watchhillgirl Posts: 597 Member
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    I notice if I don't "cool down" I am much more sore the next day.

    This is the same for me. Just go for a short walk. What will it hurt?
  • LunaMischief
    LunaMischief Posts: 166 Member
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    I notice if I don't "cool down" I am much more sore the next day.

    ^This

    Even if your cool down is just to stretch a bit, I think it helps fend off the soreness.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    my personal experience from not bothering with stretching out after exercise, is that I pulled my hamstring playing ice hockey. Trust me you do not want to do that!!! this was because they got really tight, due to not stretching out.

    I expect different people mean different things by "cool down" but I stretch for flexibility at the end of a workout, and times when I've done this I've had no problems with stiffness and pulled muscles. The times I haven't.... well I had to crawl off the ice because I couldn't skate, and I couldn't walk either. That wasn't fun.

    Other aspects of cool down... well I'm not so sure of the benefit of those, but maybe someone else knows
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I've found that I do need a few minutes to cool down. If I suddenly stop, I feel really faint and nauseous. All I need is 3 minutes to keep moving and slow my heart rate down back to normal and I'm good. 10 is too long IMO.
  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
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    A glass of milk and re-hydration soon after you stop does more for soreness than anything else.

    Cool down if you are prone to low blood pressure or just want to literally 'cool down'! I don't believe it does anything to help recovery unless your at an elite level.
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 768 Member
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    I start & end my run with a 5 minute walk. The walk is faster pace pre-run. When I get in the house I continue by stretching then shower. After shower & breakfast I use my foam roller.
  • run_way
    run_way Posts: 220
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    My cool down is my stretching...

    Edit: I do usually walk the last minute, like up my driveway, etc so that's kind of a cool down...?
  • lcyama
    lcyama Posts: 209 Member
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    after a run, i do a cool down period because if i stop abruptly i sweat rivers. i will sometimes jog for five minutes and then walk for five. by the time i am done i am definitely cooled down and my heart rate is back to normal.
  • mrp56839
    mrp56839 Posts: 159 Member
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    Thanks all. I have 30-40 mins a day to get some kind of activity in and I try to make the most of the time I do have by keeping my heart rate elevated for the majority of that. I do slow down a bit for the last minute or two, but my heart rate is coming down, and still higher than usual by the time I get back to the car. I've always felt fine after the work out.
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
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    I cool down if I did sprints or tempos or hill work (running or biking), just to keep the blood circulating and get some of the byproducts cleaned out from all the anerobic work I just did. The harder I pushed, the more seriously I take the cool down. I don't bother with aerobic work to cool down at all other than to get my breath under control an heart rate back down before going in the house to hydrate and stretch. But that takes on the order of 1-2 minutes, not 10.

    If you're doing only aerobic work (jogging, long slow distance runs), there's not much point because you never got to the point that your muscles were producing waste faster than your circulatory system could remove it. It's great like people have said to physically get your temperature down if you're hot, or to allow your blood pressure to adjust if you need it, but neither of those should take 10 whole minutes unless you're an extreme (it's super hot outside, or you have a serious blood pressure issue).

    edited to clarify - my sprint/hill/tempo work is on the order of 7-10 miles, and in those cases my cool down is on the order of 2-4 flat-ish, easy miles. I didn't bother until I started doing speedwork totalling more than about 4 miles.

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