Cool-down and stretching exercises for athletics
Prevent muscle soreness and injury after an intense athletics training session with these cool-down & stretching exercises.
Cooling down after a training session or competition is just as important for your performance as an effective warm-up programme. A warm-up prepares you for the training session, while a cool-down brings your body back to a state of homeostasis (= balance of physiological body functions). In short: your body regenerates better so you will be fit for the next training session more quickly.
Get the most out of your cool-down:
- Myofascial self-massage exercises
- Stretching exercises for athletics
Work the muscle groups you use most during sprints and jumps. These specifically include:
- thigh muscles
- glutes
- hip flexor muscles
- calf and shin muscles
Recover better
If you skip your cool-down, you miss out on a simple, well-deserved shortcut to your training progress. Plus, that post-workout massage and stretching feeling you get from an athletics session with a few intense sprints is priceless.
After each workout
You should do cool-down exercises after every athletics training session. If you don’t have a lot of time, skip individual exercises. Or only massage/stretch areas of the body that are particularly tense.
Myofascial self-massage for athletics recovery
Current research shows that targeted fascia training has a positive effect on the muscle soreness that develops after a training session. Self-massage helps you squeeze out depleted fluids. Your tissues can fill up again with fresh nutrients. It also has a positive calming effect on the autonomic nervous system. Self-massage exercises will help you relax.
Stretching exercises for athletics
Stretching can increase the mobility of your joints, increase blood flow and reduce feelings of stiffness. Other potential benefits of stretching:
- reduces muscle soreness
- increases athletic performance
- lowers the risk of injuries
