The Warm Up and

Cool Down

Essential Questions

• What is a warm up?

• Why should I warm up?

• When do I warm up?

• How do I warm up?• How long should I warm up?

• What is a cool down?• Why should I cool down?

• When do I cool down?• How do I cool down?• How long should I cool down?

GPS Standard Covered

• PEHS.1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.

What is a warm up?

• A warm up basically prepares the body to go from rest to exercise. A warm up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity (pulse raiser). Warm-ups should be specific to the activity. For example, if you are about to swim for exercise you don’t want to jog to warm up.

Why warm up?

• Increase in Muscle Temperature

• Increased Body Temperature• Increased Blood Temperature• Improved Range of Motion• Mental Preparation

When do I warm up?

• Before engaging in physical activities.

How do I warm up?

• By gradually increasing the intensity of your specific activity. This uses the specific skills of the activity and is sometimes called a related warm-up. For runners, the idea is to jog a while and add a few sprints into the routine to engage all the muscle fibers.

How long do I warm up?

• A typical warm up should last approximately 5-10 minutes.

So when do I stretch?

• The best time to stretch a muscle is after it has an increased blood flow and has increased temperature to avoid injury. Stretching a cold muscle can increase the risk of injury from pulls and tears. So you are better off doing gradual aerobic exercise before stretching. Keep in mind that the best time to stretch is after exercise because your muscles are warm and pliable with the increase of blood in them. Make sure your warm up begins gradually, and uses the muscles that will be stressed during exercise.

What is a cool down?

• A cool down is an easy activity that will allow the body to gradually transition from an exertional state to a resting or near resting state. Depending on the intensity of the exercise, cooling down can involve a slow jog or walk, or with lower intensities, stretching can be used.

Why cool down?

• Cooling down helps remove lactic acid from the muscles and allows the heart rate to return to its resting rate. If you stop suddenly without properly cooling down, the blood will likely pool in your legs instead of returning to your heart, which may cause dizziness, nausea and/or a "worn out" feeling.

When do I cool down?

• After strenuous physical activity that has elevated the heart rate.

How do I cool down?

• Cool downs should involve a gradual yet continuous decrease in exercise intensity (i.e. from a hard run to an easy jog to a brisk walk), stretching, and rehydration.

How long do I cool down?

• Durations can vary for different people, but 5-10 minutes is considered adequate.

Go get dressed…

Review• Warm Up

– Before exercise– Prepares the body for exercise– Lasts about 5-10 minutes

• Cool Down– After exercise– Transition back to resting state– Lasts about 5-10 minutes

Fitness Log

• Write an entry in your fitness log based on what we did today.

• Use your rubric as a guideline.