DUMB question!! Advice appreciated.

emmab0902
emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have just started interval training and am hoping it will give me some results - have been exercising (mostly 4-7km walks at a brisk pace) most days for a month, and eating well (NO CHOCOLATE aaargh!). Have lost NOTHING :sad:

SO I am trying interval training. My dumb question is this - how important is the warm up/cool down part - I can do six cycles if I go staight into the recovery 90 sec then interval 30 sec cycles, but manage a lot less if I do the warm up cool down. I know I need to build up to that, but initially is it ok to skip the longer warmup etc in order to manage more cycles??

Replies

  • fastbelly
    fastbelly Posts: 727 Member
    Warmup and cooldown are as important if not more then the exercise itself. That is what will keep you going, without it the risk of injury is so much greater. Be sure not to skip them.
  • mimiswoboda
    mimiswoboda Posts: 13
    While you might fine doing it, it's really not safe. Your muscles need to wam up and cool down to funcion properly. They may do well for a while, but eventually that's a really good way to get injured. Sorry!
  • ItsMeLori
    ItsMeLori Posts: 346
    It is very important for you muscles to warm up so you don't get injuries. I warm up for a few minutes before I up my speed. Then I cool down for a few minutes too. Always stretch those legs after too
  • aa1440
    aa1440 Posts: 956 Member
    Do the warm up and cool down and work your way up to more time. When I first started doing interval training 4 minutes was heck. Now I do 10 minutes almost every day. And my intervals are 15 seconds high and 15 seconds low. I love it.

    Going to try and increase it to 12 minutes next week.

    Hope this helps. Good luck.

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