Cool-down and recovery
During exercise, the body goes through a number of stressful processes. Muscle fibres, tendons and ligaments become damaged and waste products build up in the body. An effective cool-down is necessary to enable the player to recover fully from the activity.
The cool-down has three distinct phases:
- Gentle exercise
- Stretching
- Re-fuel
Cool down routine
- Five minutes of gentle exercise like light aerobic exercise in the form of a combination of upper body drills such as low impact arm swings, shoulder circles, rolls and back slaps will assist the player in cooling down
- This process will gradually help the heart rate to return to a normal, resting pulse rate. This will in turn prevent the pooling of blood in the limbs and reduce feelings of fatigue
- Deep breathing should be included in the cool-down to help the body recover by oxygenating the system
- Follow with 5-10 minutes of static stretches. This will help the joints and muscles return to their normal length and function, thereby accelerating the recovery process. Using static stretching in the cool-down will increase flexibility and may reduce the risk of injury in future exercise or game situations
