FITNESS: EXERCISE: WARMING UP AND COOLING DOWN

Always begin your exercise routine with a thorough warm-up period. Warm-up exercises heighten your flexibility and prevent muscle soreness. The purpose of warm-up exercises is to take each joint in your body through its full range of motion. Stretching exercises combined with low-intensity walking, jogging, or bicycling for about five minutes also prepare your body for more vigorous activity. After you finish your workout, repeat the same exercises to cool your muscles and joints down. Here are some effective warm-up and cool-down stretches you can try. Do each exercise slowly, spending one or two minutes on each stretch. If any warm-up exercise gives you pain, stop doing it. Begin by stretching your arms and spine.

Spine and Arm Stretch

Stand with your feet facing forward and your knees slightly bent. Try to keep your body straight as you reach your arms over your head with your hands together, palms facing forward. Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Slowly bring your arms down, reaching out with your hands as you go down, and bend down at the waist. Keep your knees slightly bent. Try to touch the ground, but don't stretch too far if it hurts, and avoid bouncing. Slowly rise and let your arms fall to your sides. Repeat three times.

Calf Stretch

Stand erect in front of a wall or a doorframe. While moving forward, bend one leg and move the other back, with both of your heels on the floor, keeping the back leg straight. Move forward as far as is comfortable until you feel a pull in the back of your outstretched leg. Relax and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.

Thigh Stretch

Balance on your left leg. If you can't balance easily, hold on to a chair. Bend your right leg back and hold your right foot with your right hand, pressing in as far as is comfortable. Raise your left arm. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with your other leg.

Arm Circles

Hold both of your arms out straight. Draw a one-foot circle in the air with both arms at once. Repeat five times in each direction.

Side Stretch

Stand with your feet about a foot apart. Raise one arm, with the fingers pointing inward. Bend in the direction of your raised fingers. (If you can't bend at all, just hold the arm-up position for a few seconds.) You should be able to feel a stretching in your side. Repeat with your other arm raised. Stretch each side three times.

Neck Stretch

Clasp your hands behind your head and slowly turn, looking over your left shoulder. Bring your head down and to the front and look to the floor as you slowly turn to the opposite shoulder. Repeat the exercise three times.

Pelvic Stretch

This exercise will stretch your thigh muscles. Sit on the floor with your legs apart as far as they will comfortably go. Bend over and reach forward with your arms on the floor as far as you can go. Hold for 30 seconds.

Inner-Thigh Stretch

To stretch your inner-thigh muscles, sit on the floor, bring your feet together, and pull them toward your body. Push your knees down with your elbows. Keep your head up and your back straight. Stretch only as far as you can while remaining comfortable. Hold for 30 seconds.

After your exercise period, don't just stop cold and rest. As you exercise, lactic acid builds up in your muscles, causing soreness, fatigue and possibly cramping. To reduce the amount of lactic acid in your muscles, you need to cool down by continuing to exercise at a lower intensity for five to 10 minutes and then do some stretching exercises. Cooling down will make you feel better as well as reduce muscle soreness.