Why warm up & cool down??

Warm Up

The main purpose and benefit of warm up exercises is to slowly increase your heart rate. This increase in heart rate helps to raise your body temperature and to increase the blood flow to your muscles.

This increase in blood flow properly oxygenates your muscles and prepares them for the upcoming more strenuous aerobic exercise. With your body properly warmed up, you can easily and safely perform the needed stretching exercises to ensure proper flexibility and range of motion for your exercise routine.

A warm-up helps you prepare both mentally and physically for exercise, and reduces the chance of injury. During a warm-up, any injury or illness you have can often be recognized, and further injury prevented. Other benefits of a proper warm up include:

• Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making the muscles more pliable.


• Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. This prevents you from getting out of breath early or too easily.


• Prepares your muscles for stretching


• Prepares your heart for an increase in activity, preventing a rapid increase in blood pressure


• Prepares you mentally for the upcoming exercise


• Primes your nerve-to-muscle pathways to be ready for exercise


• Improves coordination and reaction times

Cool Down

Although many people skip warming up and cooling down, the cool down step is probably the most overlooked piece of an effective exercise routine. The benefits of cooling down are just as important as warm up period but bring you different benefits than the warm up routine.During an aerobic exercise routine you are working your heart within your target heart rate zone. The main purpose of cooling down is to bring your breathing, body temperature and heart rate back to normal slowly.

During the cool down routine you are allowing the blood to properly redistribute itself to the heart. This redistribution helps rid the muscles of lactic acid which can build up around the muscles during an aerobic workout.

If you stop your aerobic exercise abruptly and do not cool down, the blood can pool up around your muscles in the legs. This can cause insufficient blood flow and oxygen to the brain giving you a light headed and dizzy sensation. Dizziness, nausea and feeling worn out are common symptoms of an improper or no cool down period.

How to select a running shoe..

All running shoes are not created equal. Not only can they alter your speed, but they can also affect your knees, your back and your joints. Selecting the right running shoe can make all the difference, and it can be overwhelming when faced with a wall full of shoes that all look pretty much the same. But if you follow these steps, you can find shoes that will have you running like an Olympic marathoner.

Step 1

Find a good running shoe store. You can buy your shoe at the local mega-mart, but the sales professionals in a specialty store are better trained to help you pick the right shoe. To locate a store, ask friends who run, check running magazine reviews, or check the yellow pages.

Step 2
Examine the soles of your old running shoes. Notice the spots where the shoes show wear from the road. This tells you where your foot falls every time it hits the ground.

Step 3
Place your shoes side-by-side on a flat surface. If the shoes tilt in toward the middle, your new shoe probably needs more stability than your old shoe. If they tilt to the outside, you may have a high arch and your new shoes should have good shock absorption.

Step 4
Look at the top of your shoe. If you can see an outline of your big or little toe, and you've noticed discomfort in those areas while running, you should try a larger or wider shoe.

Step 5
Consider the amount of running you will be doing. This tells you whether you should buy an elite running shoe or a basic model. The more intense the running, the more money you'll want to spend on the shoes.

Step 6
Go to the running shoe store. Tell them what you've found out about your old shoes, or bring a pair with you. The employees should be able to "read" your old shoes and guide your choice. If not, you probably should find a different store.

Step 7
Try out the shoes. Many stores will let you take a run up and down the street to audition the shoes. Try on as many shoes as it takes. Make sure you like the feel and fit of the shoe. Try out the new shoes for at least 10 minutes. This lets you know if the shoe maintains its comfort during wear.

Step 8
Buy the best running shoes for your feet. When you find the right pair, don't let them get away. Take them home and start breaking them in!

For more information see source: http://www.ehow.com