The Cool Down

How to complete The Cool Down

Stopping intense exercise abruptly leaves blood pooling in your legs and your heart rate spiking; a short cool-down eases the body back toward rest and helps clear metabolic waste from worked muscles. Five minutes here reduces next-day stiffness and dizziness.

1. Keep moving at low intensity for 2-3 minutes (slow jog into a walk, or easy spinning) to bring your heart rate down gradually.
2. Once your breathing settles, do static stretches, holding each for 20-30 seconds.
3. Target the muscles you just trained: quads and hamstrings after legs, chest and shoulders after pushing.
4. Finish with a few slow, deep breaths to shift your nervous system into recovery.

Tips

• Static stretching belongs here, after the workout, when muscles are warm and pliable.
• Don't stop dead after hard cardio, because abruptly halting can make you lightheaded.
• Hydrate during the cool-down rather than chugging only at the end.

What counts as done

Your heart rate is back near resting and you've stretched the muscles you worked before leaving.