It is critical to your body’s well being to warm up before your workout and cool down after your workout. The key to warming up is to warm up in a sport-specific way. What does that mean? If you’re going to jog, start with a fast paced walk, then move to a slow jog before you add speed or hills. If you’re doing a swinging sport, then gently volley with a friend before you start a real game and swing with full intensity. The main goal is to let your body get used to the type of movement you’ll be utilizing during your workout. Save your stretching for after the workout, as stretching before can cause injuries. After the workout, you also want to add in a sport specific cool down, rather than just abruptly stopping. Remember, the key here is not to throw your body in or out of your workout without preparing it for a change of pace. After cooling down, stretchingor foam rolling is great for reducing soreness and increasing flexibility because it can help stretch the muscles in the tightest areas and insure normal movement around a joint.
We really love the TriggerPoint Grid for foam rolling, which we sell in the office because it doesn’t soften or break down with use so can last decades. With harder workouts we recommend the supplement Vasophil® by Integrative Therapeutics; Vasoville gets more blood flow into the muscles and prevents you from tiring out quickly.