If a
careful warm-up helps prevent muscle soreness, what does the
cool-off period do? Can’t you just lie down and let the sweat
dry until you go to the shower?
In answer to the first question, the cool-down period allows
the blood to be gradually redistributed in the normal resting
pattern. The body temperature returns to normal. Your heart
rate goes back to normal.
The answer to the second question is No. The best procedure
is to keep moving for at least several minutes after vigorous
exercise. You are trying to get your breathing and heart rate
back to normal. You want your body to literally cool down.
Why not just lie down—or sit down—to cool off? An abrupt and
complete cessation of the exercise reduces the flow of venous
blood to the heart. A complete stop may also decrease the heart
stroke volume. The heart may have to work much harder to maintain
an adequate blood flow. Thus abruptly terminating exercise may
lead to dizziness, fainting, shock, or other strain on the heart.
Most heart attacks that afflict older persons in exercise situations
take place during the post-exercise period.
The ideal cool-down exercise is slow jogging or walking. At
the same time the subject should swing his or her arms. Once
the pulse rate has reached about 120—a ten-second count of 20—the
re-adjustment has been largely accomplished.
Hot showers, saunas, and steam baths also are not recommended
for the immediate post-exercise period. The hot shower, sauna,
or steam bath merely adds strain. While they can be enjoyable
and relaxing, be sure to wait until the body has returned completely
to normal before indulging in them
Ice-cold showers present their own dangers. Ice-cold water flowing
over the chest increases the blood pressure. It also raises
the heart rate and cardiac output. While a healthy individual
can tolerate the additional load, a person with cardiovascular
problems could experience difficulties. Such a person may or
may not know of his condition; the ice-cold shower would take
its toll in either case.
The need to shower after heavy exercise cannot, of course, be
minimized. A noted educator once stated that a social gap exists
between those who bathe daily and those who do not. The gap
would widen if the shower were not a post exercise priority.
But the shower water should have a moderate temperature—about
70 degrees. At that temperature, the shower tones the skin while
also cleaning.
Some experts recommend a warm shower followed by a cool one.
The warm shower opens the skin pores; the cool one closed them.
Medical authorities agree generally that the practice has merit
for persons in good health.
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