DYNAMIC STRETCHING

AND COOL DOWN

EXERCISES
 DYNAMIC STRETCHING
• PROPER WARM – UP LOOSENS ONE’S MUSCLES AND TENDONS TO INCREASE THE
RANGE OF MOTION OF JOINTS AND TO WARM UP THE BODY BY INCREASING
BODY HEAT AND BLOOD FLOW. WARM MUSCLES AND ENLARGED BLOOD VESSELS
USE OXYGEN FROM THE BLOOD AND BURN FUEL STORED IN THE MUSCLES MORE
EFFICIENTLY.
• FOR AEROBIC APORTS SUCH AS SOCCER, BASKETBALL, TENNIS AND VOLLEYBALL,
PROPER WARM – UP HAS TWO COMPONENTS – AEROBIC EXERCISE AND
DYNAMIC STRETCHING.
• A WARM – UP BEGINS WITH 5 TO 10 MINUTES OF JOGGING AT A VERY EASY PACE
APPROXIMATELY 40% OF MAXIMUM HEART RATE, AND THEN INCREASING TO
60% FOLLOWED BY A 5 MINUTES RECOVERY.
EXAMPLES OF DYNAMIC
STRETCHES
 STRAIGHT – LEG MARCH
(HAMSTRING AND GLUTEUS
MUSCLES)
• KICK ONE LEG STRAIGHT OUT IN FRONT, WITH
TOES FLEXED AND POINTED STRAIGHT UP.
REACH THE OPPOSITE ARM TO THE UPTURNED
TOES. DROP THE LEG AND REPEAT WITH THE
OPPOSITE LEG AND ARM. REPEAT SEQUENCE AT
LEAST SIX OR SEVEN TIMES.
 SCORPION ( LOWER BACK, HIP
FLEXORS, AND GLUTEUS MUSCLES)
• LIE ON STOMACH WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED
AND FEET FLEXED SO ONLY TOES ARE TOUCHING
GROUND. KICK RIGHT FOOT TOWARD LEFT ARM,
AND THEN KICK LEFT FOOT TOWARD RIGHT
ARM. BEGIN SLOWLY AND REPEAT UP TO 12
TIMES.
HAND WALKS ( SHOULDERS, CORE
MUSCLES, HAMSTRINGS)
• STAND STRAIGHT WITH LEGS TOGETHER. BEND
OVER UNTIL BOTH HANDS ARE FLAT ON THE
GROUND. WALK WITH YOUR HANDS FORWARD
UNTIL BACK IS ALMOST EXTENDED. KEEP LEGS
STRAIGHT, INCH YOUR FEET TOWARDS THE
HANDS. WALK WITH HANDS FORWARD AGAIN.
REPEAT FIVE OR SIX TIMES.
 COOL DOWN EXERCISES
• ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY IS THE COOL DOWN EXERCISE.
• COOL DOWN EXERCISES ARE LIGHT EXERCISES
THAT HELP YOUR BODY TRANSITION FROM
WORKING HARD TO A RESTING STAGE.
 HERE ARE THE FOLLOWING
REASONS THAT MAKE COOL
DOWN EXERCISES IMPORTANT:
1. COOL DOWN EXERCISES REDUCE STRAIN ON THE HEART MUSCLE AS
IT GOES FROM EXERTING ITSELF BACK TO THE NORMAL RATE.
2. COOL DOWN EXERCISES PREVENT DIZZINESS AND OTHER
DISCOMFORT FROM BLOOD POOLING IN YOUR LOWER
EXTREMITIES AFTER AN EXERCISE. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE CAUSED
BY VEINS INCREASING IN SIZE TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASED
BLOOD FLOW FROM THE HEART.
3. COOL DOWN EXERCISES PROMOTE A “FEEL GOOD” FEELING. AFTER
INTENSE RUNNING, A NICE WALK AFTERWARD HELPS YOUR LEGS
FEEL BETTER.
 THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
COOL DOWN EXERCISES:
1. WALKING – A NICE LEISURE STROLL OR WALK ALLOWS EVERYTHING TO RETURN
TO NORMAL, BUT IT STILL ALLOWS YOU TO KEEP MOVING WHILE DOING IT.
2. STRETCHING THE LEGS – THIS INCLUDES PULLING YOUR LEG UP BEHIND YOU TO
STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRING. IT IS ALSO SIMILAR TO TRYING TO TOUCH YOUR
TOES.
3. STRETCHING THE CHEST – THIS IS JUST A HEAD’S UP MOVEMENT. IT CAN ALSO
BE DONE BY LACING YOUR FINGERS BEHIND YOUR BACK, STRAIGHTENING OUT
YOUR ARMS, AND LOOKING AT THE CEILING.
4. STRETCHING THE ARMS – THIS HELPS LOOSEN UP YOUR SHOULDERS AND
ARMS. CROSSING YOUR ARMS ACROSS YOUR BODY AND STRETCHING IT IS
GOOD FOR YOU. PLACING YOUR HAND ON YOUR BACK CAN HELP STRETCH THE
BACK OF YOUR ARMS AS WELL.
5. STRETCHING OUT THE CORE – THE CORE OF YOUR BODY SOMETIMES GETS
OVERLOOKED IN YOUR WORKOUT. IN THIS COOL DOWN EXERCISE, YOU GET ON
YOUR HANDS AND KNEES, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO A POPULAR YOGA TECHNIQUE.
THE ARCH YOUR BACK LIKE A CAT FOLLOWED BY BOWING IT OUT TO FORM THE
LETTER C.

6. DANCING – DANCING HELPS IMPROVE MUSCLE TONE AND STRENGTH. IT CAN BE

FUN ACTIVITY AND GOOD FOR MENTAL WELLNESS.

7. YOGA – DOING YOGA OR ASANA POSES CAN MAKE GREAT COOL DOWN
EXERCISES BECAUSE THEY ARE COMPLEX STRETCHES THAT HELP YOUR FLEXIBILITY.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!

PRO DEO ET
PATRIA!