Toro Talk July 13

July 13, 2010

We recently had a discussion about warming down after a workout, and a ridiculous statement from a trainer here in town, which went something like this, "if you haven't worked out hard enough that you can't see straight you didn't work hard enough, and if you have enough strength to warm down you didn't work hard enough". This is THE dumbest statement I have heard in a long time! In our discussion about it, our resident apparel buyer Ragan Howard, made it more clear than anyone else, if you have seen her run, coach, race, and workout, she certainly knows what she is talking about, this week's TORO TALK written by Ragan Howard. Thanks RAY!

Robert Espinoza

"Keep Your Chin Up for Strength, and Down For Prayer" 

How Important is a Warmdown Really?

Most coaches consider a cooldown / warmdown as a vital part of a workout. During any sort of exercise, blood is being rapidly pumped through the body by the action of the heart. When the exercise stops, so does the force that pushes the blood back to the heart. If a proper warmdown is not achieved this blood, as well as waste products like lactic acid, stays in the muscles, which in turn causes swelling and pain. This process is often referred to as "blood pooling." So, the warmdown helps gradually reduce the heart rate which keeps the blood circulating throughout the body and prevents this blood pooling. This circulating blood also brings with it the oxygen and nutrients needed by the muscles, tendons and ligaments for repair. So now that we know the importance of the warmdown how do we properly execute one? There are three key elements to a proper warmdown; gentle excersicing, stretching, and refueling. The gentle excerise should be a 5 to 10 minute jog or walk, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of stretching. Of course the more demanding the session a more extensive warmdown is required. Also most coaches I know consider a cooldown as a vital part of a workout. By definition a cooldown period allows a gradual decline in your heart rate and also helps remove lactic acid from building up. Both of which decrease the amount of stress put on the body and organs. All three elements work together to repair and replenish the body after exercise and no part should be neglected. Good luck and good training!

~Ragan