139 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise Warm-Up and Cool-Down Purpose and Recommendations It is recommended that each training session begin with a proper warm-up and end with a proper cool-down. The purpose of a warm-up is to prepare the body for the more intense and demanding activity to follow. A proper warm-up increases the temperature of and the blood flow to the muscles thereby improving their elasticity and plasticity. Collectively, these actions help to improve ROM and decrease the risk of injury. In addition to improved muscle elasticity and plasticity, performing a proper warm-up has also been shown to increase force and power development, coordination and reaction time (Peterson & Rittenhouse, 2019). A proper warm-up should begin with gentle movements focusing on ROM then gradually progress to movements that are more dynamic (e.g., jumping, bounding, plyometric). Additionally, movements in all three movement planes (i.e., sagittal, frontal, transverse) should be incorporated. Figure 7.4 depicts the three different planes of movement. Figure 7.4. The 3 Planes of Movement The cool-down should be performed immediately following physical activity and involve a gradual reduction in exercise intensity. For example, walking an additional tenth of a mile at 3.0 miles per hour or slower on the treadmill after finishing a pace / tempo workout. The purpose of a cool-down is to allow the heart rate and breathing to return to normal. Additionally, a proper cool-down helps to improve venous return (blood flow back to the heart) thereby aiding in the body’s ability to recover. Since the muscles, tendons, and connective tissue are warmer following physical activity, and thus more elastic and pliable, the cool-down is the best time to stretch. Stretching Types As previously mentioned, a proper warm-up should be performed at the beginning of each training session; however, stretching should be performed at the end of each training session. The only exception to this rule is if the sport and/or exercise in which the individual is about to
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