Warm Ups and Cool Downs


We talk a lot about preventing overuse injuries, but exercise is essential for a healthy body. You need a strong core to support your back and flexible hips to avoid pulling on your lumbar spine. So how do you minimize the risk of strain? Every exercise has its proper form, and we at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock want everyone experiencing back pain to get the approval of one of our biomechanical experts before engaging in a work-out. But one feature every routine has in common is properly warming up and cooling down.


When your muscles have blood pumping through them, they are less likely to be strained or frayed. But stretching a muscle while it’s still cold puts it at much greater risk. Warm up stretches should be dynamic, meaning they should increase blood flow to a muscle while loosening it. Part of the reason for yoga’s popularity is that there are a lot of poses that do this. Other dynamic stretches include arm and hip circles, butt kicks, lunges, and leg swings. It will take at least five minutes of dynamic stretching for the whole body to be adequately warmed up.


Cooling the muscles down when the main portion of a workout is complete will help the heart return to its usual rate. This is when it’s more appropriate to do static stretches for ten to thirty seconds, each. If you were running or swimming, you should slow down gradually. Not every exercise is safe for people who have recently been injured, but returning to activity after a brief period of bed rest is necessary for recovery. If you have questions or need fast pain relief, we’d be happy to assist you at our office.


Dr. Matthew Cleary runs Cleary Family Chiropractic at 246 Creekstone Ridge, Woodstock, Georgia, 30188. To schedule an appointment, call 678-494-9668 or visit Chiropractor Woodstock.




 

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