Kung Fu Kendra / Fitness
Cooldown
Exercises
Master Siu Lim Tao
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Overview
Cooldown
Cool down is much like the warm-up in that it's important to get your body prepared for rest mode after a workout. The joints and muscles have worked hard during the workout and to balance that out, it's important to do a cool down. In this article, I will be going over a series of cool down exercises that you can do easily after your workout. Keeping in mind everyone is unique and different in their own way and requires different guidance. I also teach the cooldown in my Wing Chun Online Certification Course in Level 1.
This video will demonstrate cool down exercises.
Neck Cool Down
Go ahead and place the hand behind the back and keeping the feet shoulder width apart — with a slight bend in the knees. Start by moving the neck side to side and breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. It's important when you're looking side to side to use your eyes to almost look behind you. You want to increase development of peripheral vision and work the eye muscles.
- Keep feet shoulder width apart.
- Place arms behind back.
- Move neck side to side gently.
- Keep feet shoulder width apart.
- Place arms behind back.
- Move neck up and down gently.
- Keep feet shoulder width apart.
- Place arms behind back.
- Move neck ear to shoulder.
Arms & Shoulder Cool Down
Moving from dynamic arm movements, stretch the arms up by placing them above your head with fingers interlocked and palms facing out. Stretch the arms up with the palms facing the ceiling. Release by bringing your arms behind your head — breathe in on the extension and out on the release. Now dynamically stretch the arms across the chest forward with palms open, swinging across the chest and opening on the extension. Keep knees slightly bent and breathe always.
Circle the arms forward — palms open, enough room around you to swing a full arm's length. Swing arms forward crossing over at the center of your body making large circles. Then swing diagonally, crossing over at the center and opening on the extension with palms open. Arms switch positions each time — left hand on top, right hand on top, alternating.
- Keep feet shoulder width apart.
- Swing arms forward, hands crossing over in front.
- Repeat and be gentle with your body.
- Keep feet shoulder width apart.
- Swing arms across chest, opening palms on outward extension.
- Repeat and be gentle with your body.
- Keep feet shoulder width apart.
- Swing arms up and down.
- Repeat and be gentle with your body.
Hip Cool Down
Place your hands on your hips and rotate — imagining circling the hips around the head like a pendulum. Rotate the hips 10 times in each direction with feet larger than shoulder width apart. Dynamic stretching is especially important for the hips. Unlike stationary stretching, dynamic stretching is a critical part of a proper cool down.
- Place hands on hips, feet slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Circle hips while keeping head as still as possible.
- Repeat 10 rotations, then switch directions.
Trunk Rotations
Grab both of your elbows behind your back and keep your feet more than shoulder width apart — approximately double shoulder width. Rotate the top of your body, the trunk, down and up in a circle rotation.
- Hold both elbows behind back.
- Keep feet wider than shoulder width.
- Rotate the trunk down, around and back gently.
Knee Cool Down
Place your hands on your knees for knee rotations. Circle the knees to the left 20 times, then to the right. Then move the knees up and down, and finally in and out.
- Place hands on knees.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Move knees up and down.
- Place hands on knees.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Circle knees in one direction, then switch.
- Place hands on knees.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Circle knees in and out, then switch directions.
Ankle Cool Down
Take your left ankle and bring it out to the side and start to rotate the heel in a circular motion on the floor. Keep the ball of the foot circling and then switch legs. Do 30 rotations on each leg.
- Place hands behind the back.
- Extend one leg out.
- Circle the ankle on the ball of the foot.
- Switch directions, switch feet and repeat.
Why It Matters
Benefits of Cooldown
The benefits of cool down exercises and stretches is that they lower your chance of injury, promote blood circulation, reduce mental and emotional stress, and reduce physical stress on the heart organ. Furthermore, your heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure levels will return to their normal levels before you continue with your day.
A cool down can last 3–20 minutes and includes stretches or gentle variations of the movements you did during your workout. The purpose of cooling down after exercise is to allow your heart rate and breathing to return to normal and to promote relaxation. A cool down allows your breath to slowly return to the same rhythm prior to starting your workout, helps avoid fainting or dizziness, and helps remove waste products from your muscles such as lactic acid — which can build up during vigorous activity.
One of the most important benefits of the cool down is improved self-confidence. It's a great opportunity for you to reflect on your accomplishments and give yourself credit for the hard work you did during the workout. This promotes a sense of relaxation, well-being, and boosts your motivation.
"Remember, the cooldown is the perfect segue into stretching."