Warm-Ups, Cool-Downs and Stretches

Warming up prior to sporting or exercise activity is essential for minimizing injuries and improving performance. Warm-ups provide the physical and mental preparation for the competition or training to follow.

Physiological reasons for warm up include:

• Increase in core temperature;

• Increase in heart rate and blood flow which combine to improve the efficiency of 1) oxygen intake and transport, 2) carbon dioxide removal, and 3) removal and breakdown of anaerobic byproducts - lactates;

• Increase in the activation of the central nervous system with associated increase in coordination, skill accuracy and reaction time;

• Increase in the rate and force of muscle contraction and efficiency through increased muscle temperature;

• Increase in the suppleness of connective tissue resulting in less incidence of musculotendonous injuries.

These effects lead to an increase in the ability of the athlete to perform physically in sports.

This warm-up technique is more active and dynamic than traditionally utilized and consists of:

• an initial jog at an easy pace

• callisthenic type exercise

• dynamic series of running exercises include running forwards, backwards, and sideways, high knee drills, butt kicks, crossovers, bounding

• series of short sprints at progressive levels of intensity. 

This component should only last 3-5 minutes, but athletes be breathing quite heavily at the completion of this segment and have achieved a mild sweat.

The very nature of the sport of Track and Field will generally require performers to warm-up repeatedly during a competition as the result of cooling down between events.

Upon the completion of the competition or the training session it is important for the athlete to engage in a cool-down jog followed by a period of static stretching. 

This static stretching is used to:

• improve the range of motion of joints

• provide for the removal of lactic acid

• increase the athlete's rate of recovery

• provide relaxation to the muscles

It should be noted however, that research has shown that this type of stretching does not effectively prepare the athlete for competition or training.