How to Cool Down After Exercising?

Did you work out today? Well, I am sure the ‘out’ part depends upon the geography. Here in India, it is definitely not outside but inside for the majority. But regardless of it is in or out, I want to ask you this. Did you give closure to your workout? Forget about giving, do you even consider that your workout deserves closure, like other things? Or like many, it is just an alien world in the realm of your workout?

As much as we have evolved, there is a tendency with all of us. We feel fulfilled when things are full circle, it gives a different kind of satisfaction. Part of this reason is evident in That explains why we troll TV shows that end abruptly (Game of Thrones, not all but just the final season) and admire shows that even though takes time but complete on the note on which they have started (Breaking Bad).

Even with this tendency, most of us still don’t finish what we start. It can be a book that you started months ago or part of a project that you kept procrastinating, some personal/professional task, or maybe just the tiniest act of finishing the day by remembering what happened. One of the reasons why we are afraid of creating new productive habits (or replace old ones) is that we are deep inside afraid, not because of starting, but because of knowing that we have to keep doing it, and even harder, in the end, have to finish it.

We haven’t realised that it is probably the best way to strengthen willpower, to finish what you have started. It’s what Dandapani Ji, the spiritual monk who inspire common people and show ways to entrepreneurs said during one of his talks. Starting something is easy (I know, most of us are resistant to start even. But hey, I am talking relatively here). Sustaining what you are doing, keeping up with the journey despite the obstacles is difficult. Finishing something is the hardest part. Why? Because that is the true test of willpower. That’s the true measure of how much you trust the process.

Similarly, this is analogous to your workout. For us, a workout is about pumping the rate up, building muscles, overcoming resistance, get the body moving, feeling the adrenaline flowing, listening to our heartbeat up close without the need for a stethoscope, seeing the energy flow to where want to channel it. The workout phase is a favourite for most of us.

We were so in love with this process that we were resistant to even understand that Warming up is an essential part of it. With time we have convinced ourselves otherwise. Why? Because we have tried the ‘No Warmup’ method and bore the price. But Just like warming up gives a start to continue in the flow workout state, Cooling Down can be the best way to come down the slop gradually.

But we haven’t exactly adopted the same with cooling ourselves down, did we? We haven’t considered it “Essential Enough”
.

So buckle up, because you will have a thorough idea of why you should consider it essential, why it should no longer be underrated.

Gradual Slowing of Heart rate

• Our Heart is more sensitive than we think it is. When we are working, it is responsible to pump at a rate which is 5 times more than what it is used to. Biologically there is no worry since the heart can handle it, it only needs to accelerate and redirect the flow of blood. But what is worrying is not giving the heart the time to transition.
• See as you finish your last set and decide to relax the sweaty body, you are putting an abrupt halt to a biological process. Imagine this, how will you feel when someone interrupts suddenly you while taking a leak (again, a biological process) You get the idea.Our biological process works best when they are valued as a ‘process’ and not as some end goal. Therefore, it is always better to give your body your most important asset, Time! The heart will thank you for not overloading it. You will feel better coming down the slop organically rather than abruptly.

The Control Over Breathing

• The pumping heart rate is compounded with the equally fast breathing rate. They work parallelly, one can not work without the other. This interdependency is more evident when you have toallow your breathing to come to ‘Stable mode’ as it is important to allow the heart to slow down.
• This act of taking charge of breathing comes from the approach of taking charge of your body’s activity. Your body doesn’t have to drive you, you have to drive it and when I say you, I mean the part that practices Common sense. And that involves doing things that may sound a bit too much but are essential in the longer run.
• Keep in mind that Deep breathing may not be the ideal approach. That’s because while inhalation, you open up the vessels to carry more oxygen to the heart which is fuel to a faster rate. You need to do the opposite. You need to focus more on exhalation (Observation from athletes after their practice) Try to control the breath and feel the heart slowing down, be mindful about it.

Blood Pooling

• When the body goes from moving quickly or performing a lot of work during your last set to working less and moving slowly, the squeezing action provided by the working muscles is greatly diminished. When exercise is stopped abruptly, this can cause the blood to pool in the lower extremities and slow its return back to the heartand, subsequently, the brain. All of this can lead to lightheadedness and dizziness.
• Your blood pressure drops, your blood vessels relax and dilate, blood flows to your abdomen, and your heart rate slows. The blood does not get to your head, creating the potential for fainting. This Pooling can be avoided by letting the blood do this process as per its pace. Meanwhile, you can check your social media, upload a pic if you want to (instant gratification, but hey it’s fine sometimes).

A Better Way to Relax Muscles

• DOMS i.e, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise due to microtears in the muscle fibres. Well, there is no denying that some soreness is to be expected, especially with resistance training or a new form of exercise. However, a significant amount of DOMS is not comfortable and can be rather debilitating when trying to stay on a consistent exercise schedule.
• Cooling down after your workout is a great way to help minimize the DOMS effect. It’s not just a mere statement but backed by research which concluded that post-workout cool down showed a significant decrease in DOMS due to increased blood flow to the exercised muscles

The Ideal Condition to stretch

• When you are finished with all your sets and reps or your final interval, your muscles are very warm and pliable (think of a rubber band, it is more flexible when is used for some time). This makes static stretching a great addition to the cool-down to improve overall flexibility. When the muscles are stretched on a consistent basis, they become lengthened and, over time, will allow you to push your default range of motion, which consequentially not only prevent you from injury but also help to maintain a good posture.

Prevent Injury

• Any sudden movement is an open invitation to injury. The Energy that comes after a workout brings with itself excitement too. If not controlled, this can leads to impulsive actions which can cause injury. When the movement of blood slows within the vascular system, there is less pressure available to move the blood through these pathways, which causes the blood to become somewhat ‘trapped’ between these valves.
• This makes the discussed Blood Pooling effect one of the most prominent reasons for Injury Post workouts. According to statistics, Lower-back injuries are among the most common reasons for days missed at work and can be caused by tight hamstrings and/or tight hip flexors, which is why it is so important to give these areas some much-needed care after your workout.

Psychological Impact

• Exercising activates the sympathetic nervous system, the part which is responsible for your body’s ‘flight or fight’ response. When you stop exercising, your sympathetic nervous system turns off and your parasympathetic nervous system which kicks in when you are at rest turns on. Due to the small-time gap, the brain behaves as if it is still in the High adrenaline mode, which hampers its decision making powers.
• The cool-down is an important part of releasing the “feel good” hormones dopamine and serotonin, also known as endorphins. When exercise is slowed and the body is allowed to gradually come back to a resting, balanced state (homeostasis), you will be able to take full advantage of the relaxed and euphoric effect that these neurochemicals have on your body.

Better Recovery

• After an intense bout of exercise, there is an accumulation of lactic acid within the system. It takes time for this byproduct of exercise to be ‘buffered’ out, so 10 minutes of light exercise along with stretching is a great way to begin clearing the lactic acid from the body. It also helps to ensure that your body will be ready for its next physical test, what the daily routine and the coming day has to throw at you.

While it might be just as easy to skip out early, remember that a 10-minute cool-down can be the difference between you and your fitness goals. I agree it is easy to let the body come to relax mode, especially after a workout, since we have already overcome the resistance of doing the workout. But it’s better to do the entire process better than to do something that undoes the benefit of the former.

So, when you feel like jumping from your last set straight into your formal clothes, remember to take an extra few minutes to slow your roll, make sure you slow the breathing, your heart rate comes down slowly, and allow your body to become accustomed to the now diminished level of work. It might save you a trip to the emergency room.

Did you work out today? Well, I am sure the ‘out’ part depends upon the geography. Here in India, it is definitely not outside but inside for the majority. But regardless of it is in or out, I want to ask you this. Did you give closure to your workout? Forget about giving, do you even consider that your workout deserves closure, like other things? Or like many, it is just an alien world in the realm of your workout?

As much as we have evolved, there is a tendency with all of us. We feel fulfilled when things are full circle, it gives a different kind of satisfaction. Part of this reason is evident in That explains why we troll TV shows that end abruptly (Game of Thrones, not all but just the final season) and admire shows that even though takes time but complete on the note on which they have started (Breaking Bad).

Even with this tendency, most of us still don’t finish what we start. It can be a book that you started months ago or part of a project that you kept procrastinating, some personal/professional task, or maybe just the tiniest act of finishing the day by remembering what happened. One of the reasons why we are afraid of creating new productive habits (or replace old ones) is that we are deep inside afraid, not because of starting, but because of knowing that we have to keep doing it, and even harder, in the end, have to finish it.

We haven’t realised that it is probably the best way to strengthen willpower, to finish what you have started. It’s what Dandapani Ji, the spiritual monk who inspire common people and show ways to entrepreneurs said during one of his talks. Starting something is easy (I know, most of us are resistant to start even. But hey, I am talking relatively here). Sustaining what you are doing, keeping up with the journey despite the obstacles is difficult. Finishing something is the hardest part. Why? Because that is the true test of willpower. That’s the true measure of how much you trust the process.

Similarly, this is analogous to your workout. For us, a workout is about pumping the rate up, building muscles, overcoming resistance, get the body moving, feeling the adrenaline flowing, listening to our heartbeat up close without the need for a stethoscope, seeing the energy flow to where want to channel it. The workout phase is a favourite for most of us.

We were so in love with this process that we were resistant to even understand that Warming up is an essential part of it. With time we have convinced ourselves otherwise. Why? Because we have tried the ‘No Warmup’ method and bore the price. But Just like warming up gives a start to continue in the flow workout state, Cooling Down can be the best way to come down the slop gradually.

But we haven’t exactly adopted the same with cooling ourselves down, did we? We haven’t considered it “Essential Enough”
.

So buckle up, because you will have a thorough idea of why you should consider it essential, why it should no longer be underrated.

Gradual Slowing of Heart rate

• Our Heart is more sensitive than we think it is. When we are working, it is responsible to pump at a rate which is 5 times more than what it is used to. Biologically there is no worry since the heart can handle it, it only needs to accelerate and redirect the flow of blood. But what is worrying is not giving the heart the time to transition.
• See as you finish your last set and decide to relax the sweaty body, you are putting an abrupt halt to a biological process. Imagine this, how will you feel when someone interrupts suddenly you while taking a leak (again, a biological process) You get the idea.Our biological process works best when they are valued as a ‘process’ and not as some end goal. Therefore, it is always better to give your body your most important asset, Time! The heart will thank you for not overloading it. You will feel better coming down the slop organically rather than abruptly.

The Control Over Breathing

• The pumping heart rate is compounded with the equally fast breathing rate. They work parallelly, one can not work without the other. This interdependency is more evident when you have toallow your breathing to come to ‘Stable mode’ as it is important to allow the heart to slow down.
• This act of taking charge of breathing comes from the approach of taking charge of your body’s activity. Your body doesn’t have to drive you, you have to drive it and when I say you, I mean the part that practices Common sense. And that involves doing things that may sound a bit too much but are essential in the longer run.
• Keep in mind that Deep breathing may not be the ideal approach. That’s because while inhalation, you open up the vessels to carry more oxygen to the heart which is fuel to a faster rate. You need to do the opposite. You need to focus more on exhalation (Observation from athletes after their practice) Try to control the breath and feel the heart slowing down, be mindful about it.

Blood Pooling

• When the body goes from moving quickly or performing a lot of work during your last set to working less and moving slowly, the squeezing action provided by the working muscles is greatly diminished. When exercise is stopped abruptly, this can cause the blood to pool in the lower extremities and slow its return back to the heartand, subsequently, the brain. All of this can lead to lightheadedness and dizziness.
• Your blood pressure drops, your blood vessels relax and dilate, blood flows to your abdomen, and your heart rate slows. The blood does not get to your head, creating the potential for fainting. This Pooling can be avoided by letting the blood do this process as per its pace. Meanwhile, you can check your social media, upload a pic if you want to (instant gratification, but hey it’s fine sometimes).

A Better Way to Relax Muscles

• DOMS i.e, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise due to microtears in the muscle fibres. Well, there is no denying that some soreness is to be expected, especially with resistance training or a new form of exercise. However, a significant amount of DOMS is not comfortable and can be rather debilitating when trying to stay on a consistent exercise schedule.
• Cooling down after your workout is a great way to help minimize the DOMS effect. It’s not just a mere statement but backed by research which concluded that post-workout cool down showed a significant decrease in DOMS due to increased blood flow to the exercised muscles

The Ideal Condition to stretch

• When you are finished with all your sets and reps or your final interval, your muscles are very warm and pliable (think of a rubber band, it is more flexible when is used for some time). This makes static stretching a great addition to the cool-down to improve overall flexibility. When the muscles are stretched on a consistent basis, they become lengthened and, over time, will allow you to push your default range of motion, which consequentially not only prevent you from injury but also help to maintain a good posture.

Prevent Injury

• Any sudden movement is an open invitation to injury. The Energy that comes after a workout brings with itself excitement too. If not controlled, this can leads to impulsive actions which can cause injury. When the movement of blood slows within the vascular system, there is less pressure available to move the blood through these pathways, which causes the blood to become somewhat ‘trapped’ between these valves.
• This makes the discussed Blood Pooling effect one of the most prominent reasons for Injury Post workouts. According to statistics, Lower-back injuries are among the most common reasons for days missed at work and can be caused by tight hamstrings and/or tight hip flexors, which is why it is so important to give these areas some much-needed care after your workout.

Psychological Impact

• Exercising activates the sympathetic nervous system, the part which is responsible for your body’s ‘flight or fight’ response. When you stop exercising, your sympathetic nervous system turns off and your parasympathetic nervous system which kicks in when you are at rest turns on. Due to the small-time gap, the brain behaves as if it is still in the High adrenaline mode, which hampers its decision making powers.
• The cool-down is an important part of releasing the “feel good” hormones dopamine and serotonin, also known as endorphins. When exercise is slowed and the body is allowed to gradually come back to a resting, balanced state (homeostasis), you will be able to take full advantage of the relaxed and euphoric effect that these neurochemicals have on your body.

Better Recovery

• After an intense bout of exercise, there is an accumulation of lactic acid within the system. It takes time for this byproduct of exercise to be ‘buffered’ out, so 10 minutes of light exercise along with stretching is a great way to begin clearing the lactic acid from the body. It also helps to ensure that your body will be ready for its next physical test, what the daily routine and the coming day has to throw at you.

While it might be just as easy to skip out early, remember that a 10-minute cool-down can be the difference between you and your fitness goals. I agree it is easy to let the body come to relax mode, especially after a workout, since we have already overcome the resistance of doing the workout. But it’s better to do the entire process better than to do something that undoes the benefit of the former.

So, when you feel like jumping from your last set straight into your formal clothes, remember to take an extra few minutes to slow your roll, make sure you slow the breathing, your heart rate comes down slowly, and allow your body to become accustomed to the now diminished level of work. It might save you a trip to the emergency room.