Just a little stretching, a calming breathing exercise, or should you change right after a workout? With these cooling down exercises after your strength training, you not only pay attention to your fitness but also to your recovery.
Cooling down exercises explained after your strength training
Why do cooling down exercises
You don't always feel like stretching extensively after a workout. Because let's be honest, often you just have to get back to work or to an appointment. Still, it is advisable to do cooling down exercises. In an article about the importance of cooling down exercises, we already explained that it is important to take good care of yourself after a workout. During a workout, your heart rate increases, and the active part of your nervous system is activated. By doing cooling down exercises after a workout, you can calm your nervous system and give your body the chance to recover.
What are cooling down exercises
There are various ways to cool down, such as moving slowly, stretching, or doing breathing exercises. Many cooling down exercises resemble exercises from yoga, each branch gives it a slightly different name. You do cooling down exercises after a workout. Usually, a cooling down lasts between 5 and 15 minutes.
Five cooling down exercises after your strength training
Do you find it difficult to come up with a cooling down routine yourself? To help you out, we have listed 5 cooling down exercises for after your strength training. A short practice of 10 minutes to calm your nervous system for optimal recovery of body and mind. For this cooling down, you only need a mat.
1. Child's pose
After a workout, your heart rate is elevated. Child's pose helps you bring your energy back down.
Sit on your mat and place your knees on either side of the mat.
Bend forward with your upper body between your knees.
Stretch your arms out in front of you or lay them beside you.
Breathe deeply in and out towards your lower abdomen.
2. Cat-cow stretch
A strength training session usually requires a lot of effort from your back and spine. Before you sit back behind a desk or step into daily life, it's nice to give this area some space with the Cat-Cow stretch.
Place your hands and knees on your mat so that your back is 'a table'.
On an inhale, lift your chin so that your back arches.
On an exhale, bring your chin to your chest and round your back.
Repeat this 10 times and move with your own breath.
3. Downward Facing Dog
Your legs are also often stressed during strength training. In particular, the hamstrings are a vulnerable area for tension and injuries. With the Downward Facing Dog, you stretch your legs.
From the Cat-Cow position, bring your hips back and stretch your arms out in front of you.
With the weight at the back of your legs, slowly lift your tailbone until you are in a triangle position.
Make sure your fingers are spread and push the mat away from you.
Keep pushing your hips and buttocks back and feel the stretch in your hamstrings.
Move your feet and legs in place so that you alternately feel the stretch in your legs and hamstrings.
Repeat this for a few minutes.
4. Pigeon pose
The area around the buttocks and hips becomes stiff quickly because we sit a lot. The Pigeon pose is a nice cooling down exercise after strength training to keep this area flexible.
From Downward Facing Dog, place your right leg between your hands.
Lay your shin horizontally on the mat and gently lower yourself down.
Your left leg lies flat on the mat and you feel a stretch in your right buttock.
If you have space, lean forward over your right leg. Otherwise, place your hands in front of you on the mat. Just feel how far you can stretch.
Breathe into the tension in your right leg and hold this for a minute.
Then switch sides, placing your left leg horizontally, your right leg flat on the mat, and seek the stretch in your left buttock and hip area.
5. Boxed breathing
Your breathing speeds up during a workout. By consciously controlling your breathing, you can not only regulate your breath but also signal your nervous system to calm down. Boxed breathing is therefore a nice cooling down exercise after your strength training.
Sit upright on your mat.
Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.
On an inhale, your belly, diaphragm, and chest rise.
On an exhale, your chest, diaphragm, and belly lower back down.
First, see if you can find a rhythm, 4 counts in and 4 counts out.
Then add a breath hold between the inhale and the exhale. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts.
Repeat this for a few minutes.
If you want to discover more breathing exercises, take a look here. Koen de Jong knows a lot about breathing in combination with sports.
The power of recovery
What did you think of these cooling down exercises? In our lifestyle studios in Haarlem and Heemstede, we not only focus on your sports performance but also on your lifestyle and recovery. This combination ensures that you can work towards optimal health in a sustainable way. Curious? Make an appointment for a trial lesson or stop by.
