Never Skip Warm-ups or Cooldowns
By Sandy Schroeder
Wherever you are with your current exercise routines, there are some key principles that you should know about. According to Harvard Health experts, warm-ups and cooldowns are key principles that should not be skipped.
They say diving into exercise is quite common, but it can be a definite risk for injury. Never start a workout with "cold" muscles.
How A Warm-Up Works
Harvard’s experts tell us when we warm up we pump nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood to the muscles as the heart rate and breathing speed up. Warm-ups should take five to 10 minutes and involve all of the major muscle groups. Start slowly and gradually increase the pace. Jumping jacks or lunges are good cardio and range of motion exercises to use. Or you can just walk in place as you swing your arms, or do a simple dance.
How A Cooldown Works
Harvard’s advisers tell us to take five to 10 minutes cooling down after a workout. This helps the breath and heart rate slow down and avoids muscle cramps or dizziness. Use simple stretching exercises to relax and lengthen the muscles throughout the body and improve range of motion. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and flow from one stretch to the next.
Two Easy Stretches
Here are two easy stretches from RealSimple.com.
Standing Side Stretch - Stand with your feet together and your arms straight overhead. Clasp your hands together with fingers interlaced and pointer fingers extended. Inhale and reach upward. Breathe out as you bend your upper body to the right. Take five slow breaths. Slowly return to the center. Repeat on the left side.
Forward Hang - Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Interlace your fingers behind your back. Breathe in and straighten your arms to expand your chest. Exhale and bend at your waist, letting your hands stretch toward your head. Hold for five deep breaths.
For More Wellness Tips See Your Local Chiropractor
Chiropractors believe routine chiropractic care should be as basic to our health regimin as good diets and daily exercise. It offers the purest form of chiropractic care, providing full spinal adjustments using the diversified technique to check for subluxations, which are restrictions (commonly called misalignments) of the spine.
When the restriction is corrected, it may have far-reaching effects on back, neck and sciatica pain. It may also help with allergies, TMJ, arthritis, headaches and migraines.
As a wellness clinic, the chiropractic focus is on daily stresses, aches and pain without use of medications or surgery.
If this direct focus on chiropractic wellness sounds good to you, make an appointment and find out more.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Clayton, Mo.
