This After Activity Hack Feels SO Good

Good morning,

This month I am focusing about simple things you can do to boos your overall health and wellness results ...

And this one is surprisingly effective.

It can help you "hack" your way to less stress, happier moods, and better workout or activity benefits without lots of soreness!

Here it is: Don't skip your post-workout (or physical activity (aka walks)) cooldown or stretches!

Your cooldown has powerful implications for your health ... right down to your central nervous system.

I know you're busy and want to jet off when your workout is over or when you are done with your rehab exercises or after that walk, but it is absolutely worth taking a few extra minutes to wind down after you have done any type of physical activity (yes, that even includes gardening!)

What you do during your cooldown will depend on what you have done for your workout, exercise, and physical activity but here are some basic guidelines:

Cooldown Phase #1 -

• If you just did a cardio or high-intensity type of activity, spend at least 5 minutes gradually returning your heart rate to normal by slowly reducing the intensity of your movements.

          This can help stop flood from pooling in your extremities (arms/legs), which may make you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or even faint.

• If it was a strength-training activity, hop on a cardio peiece of equipment (or walk if at home) for a short, moderate-intensity session to help avoid post-workout soreness. Be sure to bring your heart rate down graduallly.

Cooldown Phase #2 (where the real magic happens!) -

After exercising, doing your workouts, being physically active, your muscles are warm and pliable, which makes it a GREAT time to work on your flexibility.

Stretching helps:

• Prevent soreness
• Improve mobility
• Improve your posture
• Improve flexibility and your range of motion
• Reduce your risk of injury
• Increase blood flow
• Relieve tension and stress
• Promote overall relaxation

Not to mention the fact that it just plain feels good to stretch after a workout or being physically active!

If you normally skip your cooldown, try it for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference.

At the Other Pain Clinic individuals who have medical health conditions and chronic pain conditions move better and feel better. Our More Energy, Better Health in 30 Days, can help with consistent effective exercise sessions that work WITH your body, not against it. To learn more about this program, send me an email. Click here.

Committed to your health,

Francois, MES, CES, CLT, CBT

CEO & Chief Medical Exercise Specialist