Quick questions on Designing a training session - warm-up, conditioning, cool-down, sequencing, safety and intensity monitoring: HSC Health and Movement Science Focus Area 2

A warm-up has two parts. A general warm-up uses easy whole-body aerobic work (jog, skip, easy cycle) to lift core and muscle temperature and blood flow. A specific warm-up then rehearses the movements, ranges and intensities of the session to come, so the body is primed for that exact task.

A cool-down is low-intensity continuous movement (an easy jog or spin at roughly 40 to 60 percent of HRmax) for about 5 to 10 minutes, often followed by light mobility. Its job is physiological, not symbolic:

Warming the muscle speeds enzyme kinetics and nerve conduction, quickens contraction and relaxation, lowers muscle and joint viscosity, increases muscle blood flow and oxygen delivery, and opens the range of motion. The result is more force and power available, a lower injury risk, and a smoother transition of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems into hard work (see acute responses in physiological-responses-and-adaptations). A warm-up is typically about 10 to 15 minutes, scaled to the athlete, intensity and conditions.

Screen for injury or illness before starting; check the environment (surface, weather, heat and hydration) and equipment; ensure a correct progressive warm-up; supervise technique under load; and have a stop rule (e.g. failing target times, or symptoms of heat or illness).

Prolonged static stretching can transiently reduce force and power; use a dynamic RAMP warm-up with potentiation instead.