The main purpose of warming up is to increase your heart rate slightly to benefit by 1) raising your core body temperature; and 2) increasing the blood (oxygen) flow to your muscles to prepare your body for more vigorous physical activity. Your muscles and tendons will be more flexible for stretching after gentle movement has raised your internal body temperature. This flexibility will help increase the range of motion of your joints and may help you prevent injuries such as muscle tears and pulls.

What muscles should I warm up?

Focus on warming up large muscle groups such as quadriceps, calves and chest. To warm up the chest and shoulder area, warm up with shoulder rolls and arm circles. Begin a run with a fast walk for 3 to 5 minutes followed by a stretch prior to the actual run itself.

How long should I warm up?

It takes your body approximately 3 minutes to realise it needs to pump more blood to your muscles. Warm ups should last approximately 5 - 10 minutes and they should incorporate stretching of large muscle groups.

Why Cool Down?

After reaching your training heart rate level it is important to recover gently. The cool down 1) reduces your pulse; 2) returns the blood to your heart in sufficient quantities to rid the muscles of lactic acid. If you stop suddenly, the blood will pool in your legs instead of returning to your heart. An improper cool down may cause feelings of dizziness, nausea and a worn out feeling.

How long should I cool down?

It takes your body approximately 3 minutes to realise that it doesn't need to pump all the additional blood to your muscles. A safe cool down period is at least 3 minutes however preferably 4-5 minutes. All cool downs should be followed by stretching of the muscles to avoid soreness and tightness.