Warm Up / Cool Down

Author: Rebecca Sheridan - Physiotherapist

Warming up is an integral part of any sport; snowboarding is no exception, especially considering exposure to the cold. The cold affects our systems and muscles, and in turn, affects how we need to prepare for exercise in these conditions. Warming up to increase muscle and blood temperature reduces the risk of injury.

At rest, muscles have a much lower percentage of blood than during exercise. A good warm up ensures a gradual increase to where it’s needed- your muscles. Light exercises and stretches should be carried out to aid your body in the transition from a resting to exercise state.

To completely understand the importance of warming up, an appreciation of the functions and properties of muscles is necessary. Most of the body’s movements occur as a result of skeletal muscle contractions. When a muscle contracts is causes movement. Warming up increases body and muscle temperature, which causes blood in the muscles to become less viscous and the muscles to become more elastic. A warm, elastic muscle contracts more forcefully.

Muscles are also extensible. This means that a muscle can be stretched to its normal length and somewhat beyond. If you are not properly warmed up, a muscle can stretch well beyond its capabilities. The result could mean a muscle strain; the over-stretching or tearing of muscle fibers.

Furthermore, muscles are elastic; they are able to recoil back to their original length after being stretched. Again, if muscles are not warmed up properly and are without adequate blood flow, passive recoil (elasticity) is reduced, placing soft tissues at risk of injury.

Warming up has effects on the heart and our respiratory rate. When the heart contracts, it pumps blood to all parts of the body. We warm up before exercise to gradually increase our heart rate. The effect gradually brings your heart rate higher; this means the actual amount of blood ejected from the heart per minute increases (cardiac output). Improving circulation increases the supply of oxygen to the muscles, as oxygenated blood becomes more readily available; this aids performance. As all of this happens, blood vessels in your body dilate, reducing the resistance to blood flow, and thus lowers the stress on your heart. Oxygen deprivation to muscles leads to rapid muscle fatigue.

As you can see, the benefits of warming up are paramount. Warming up not only prepares your body for exercise, but can be a good opportunity for psychological preparation, and to perform stretches.

Guidelines

• A warm up should be 5 to 15 minutes (not including stretching time) in duration, depending on the type of activity and environmental factors. For activities in the snow, a longer warm up is required.


• A warm up should start slowly and should involve all the main muscle groups and body parts.


• A warm up should be tailored specifically for the activity to follow.

Stretching

Static stretching is recommended; a muscle is gradually lengthened through the full range of motion and held for 20-30 seconds in the furthest comfortable position, with no pain. Please read the following stretching articles: lower body stretches and upper body stretches.

Stretching exercises provide the following benefits:

• Increases the range of motion of the joints that are going to be used in the activity.


• Increases flexibility and elasticity.


• Lessens the danger of injury, as the musculature requires increased elasticity.


• Improves blood circulation. Stretching increases blood flow to the muscle being stretched.


• Promotes regeneration of muscle fibres after activity.


• Increases the metabolism of muscles.


• Decreases muscle tension and tightness.

Stretching guidelines

• Ensure you warm up thoroughly, before stretching.


• Do not stretch to a point of discomfort or pain. You should feel a slight pull in the muscle being stretched.


• Stretch in a slow and controlled manner. Slowly release the stretch as well.


• Do not bounce when you stretch.


• Hold each stretch for between 20-30 seconds.


• Stretch evenly. That is, stretch both sides of your body.


• It’s good to get into habit of breathing in and out deeply, as you stretch. Do not hold you breathe while you are stretching.


• A post warm up stretching routine should be approximately 10-15 minutes.


• Cold temperatures at the snow makesyour muscles tighter and less supple. Adding 5 to 10 minutes to a your stretching routine, will ensure your muscles are less susceptible to injury during exposure to the cold.


• Static stretching can be separated with ballistic stretches, for example leg swings to keep your body moving in very cold weather.

Cooling down

After a day of snowboarding, you should finish the session with a cool down. The purpose of a cool down is to prepare your body to return to a resting state. A cool down allows your heart rate to slowly return to its resting rate, as well as gradually lowering body temperature and breathing rate following exercise.

A sudden cessation in activity will result in a pooling of blood in your extremities. A proper cool down prevents this occurring and re-circulates blood back to the heart, skeletal muscles, and brain, by keeping the ‘muscle pump’ active.

This phase of your workout also reduces muscle stiffness or soreness, by aiding in the dissipation of waste products, including lactic acid, from the muscles and blood. Lactic acid is produced during activity when the oxygen requirements of the muscles are greater than the amount supplied by the circulating blood. Warming down effectively reduces the potential for ‘delayed onset of muscle soreness’ (DOMS); thought to be caused by increased concentrations of lactic acids post exercise. Despite this notion, the exact cause of DOMS remains unknown.

Generally, a warm down follows a similar structure to a warm up. It should consist of light aerobic exercise and stretches. Again, the cool down component should be individualised and dependant on the type and duration of the exercise performed.

Stretches are of equal importance before and after exercise. Gentle stretching aids circulation, and therefore contributes to the process of breaking down waste products like lactic acid. As muscle tension increases quite dramatically during exercise, it’s essential to stretch after exercise, to reduce this tension.

Remember to always warm up, have fun, and cool down; allow your body to regenerate and relax after exertion.

If you have any questions, ask Rebecca on the Boardworld Forums.