Warm Up and Cool Down Tips and Routines
Want to get the most out of your strength training and fat burning interval workouts? Start with the best movement prep and finish up with an even stronger recovery routine. Here are two brand new warm up and cool down routines we just filmed for our Get Strong Challenge along with 9 warm up and cool down tips you need for great results. The big bonus of this quick movement prep is you get anti-aging and stress relief too.
Warm Up Tips & 9 Minute Routine
Most clients I work with are trying to lose weight, burn fat, get strong, get healthy and just feel good which is why we focus on certain types of warm up exercises and not others. Here’s the 5 key things a warm up should do for workout success:
Prep movement must align the body which in turn energizes the body, boosts efficient movement, strength and fat burning.
Warm up exercises should be simple and feel good which boosts workout motivation.
Prep exercises must reinforce movement skills required in the workout for better results.
Warm up exercises should be engaging and shift your focus to the exercise session and away from where you were before you arrived.
Prep movement must reinforce a positive mindset and zone in on your strengths instead of your limitations.
Try this 9 minute warm up video daily and notice how it impacts your life. Feel free to add one of the Workouts from Get Strong Challenge Calendar and/or follow up with the cool down right below.
9 Minute Cool Down Routine + Tips
Now that you have your warm up covered and you’ve completed your workout you can just do a 30 second quad stretch and go home right? That’s pretty much how many gym-goers and even workout videos approach post workout recovery…heel to butt, touch toes, quick shoulder stretch and go eat. But that isn’t helping you much in the long term.
The cool down is actually more important than all the other components of your workout.
It’s the recovery period between your last workout and your next one, when all the important changes happen so why would you skimp on this part. Here’s my new routine and 5 tips to get it done efficiently:
Spend 10-20 minutes on dynamic stretches that address your limitations, areas of your body that need improving, or on posture issues that facilitate healing. 10 minutes of each is doable and really the bare minimum you should do.
If you strength train on alternate days why not add recovery days in between that include longer dynamic stretches. Doing 30-50 minutes post cardio or on its own can do wonders for your recovery and progress.
Focus mostly on dynamic stretch. If you love static stretch or yoga like I do be sure to do that after your dynamic stretch routine. 10 minutes dynamic stretch + 20 minutes static stretch is a great combo!
Do what is possible for your body. You don't need to twist yourself into a pretzel for effective recovery or to improve mobility and flexibility. Work in your range and at your level and you’ll improve without struggling.
The cool down recovery routine from Get Strong Challenge is also the post workout routine I teach in all my strength intervals classes. Get started with the 28 day Get Strong Challenge Calendar here.
Anti-Aging Stress Relief Benefits
Finally if getting awesome results from your time spent exercising isn’t enough motivation to add 10 minutes of warm up and 10 minutes of cool down to your day then maybe these 5 anti-aging benefits will move you:
Stretching increases blood flow, sending more oxygen and eliminating waste which keeps skin cells healthy and constantly regenerating.
Stretching improves posture which prevents all those spine compression issues that hunch you over and add years to your appearance.
Stretching reduces post workout stress hormones that slow down recovery. This makes it easier for your body to burn the fat and get leaner as you age.
Stretching makes your body and mind more flexible too. If you can bend physically then you’re more likely to bend mentally which means you’ll be better able to handle change and stress, which are both constant in today’s world.
Stretching reduces tension from workouts that can lead to imbalances that cause aches, pains, injuries, falls and breaks which are more common as you age.
