Limbering Down

Meaning

Limbering down — also called cooling down or warming down — is an easy exercise that lets the body shift gradually from an exertional state to a resting (or near-resting) state. It is a necessary activity after training or competition: depending on the intensity, it can be a slow jog or walk, or stretching at a low intensity, and players may also take a cooling bath, ice bath or cryotherapy to relax the muscles.

Static stretches for cooling down

The book describes several static stretches that are important for cooling down:

• Hamstrings — lying on the back, raise one straight leg above the hips and draw it toward the chest; repeat on the other side.
• Chest — standing, interlace the fingers behind the back, straighten the arms and lift the chin toward the ceiling.
• Glutes — lying on the back, cross one leg over the bent opposite knee and draw the knee to the chest.
• Quadriceps — lying on one side, pull the upper leg back into the glute to feel the stretch at the front of the thigh.
• Triceps / shoulders — take one arm overhead, bend at the elbow and extend the palm down the back, gently pulling the elbow with the other hand; then take the arm across the chest.

Benefits of limbering down

• a) Regulating the heart rate — after exercise the heart beats faster than normal; cooling down (for example, walking after a run) brings it back gradually and avoids the dizziness that sudden stopping can cause.
• b) Controlling body temperature — a proper cool-down brings the raised body temperature back to normal.
• c) Preventing injuries — like warming up, cooling down helps prevent muscle tears; skipping it slows muscle recovery and reduces a workout's benefits.
• d) Stress relief and relaxation — the body relaxes and the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the "feel-good" hormones that reduce stress. …