This wellness coach used to be a private acting coach specializing in helping kids to perfect auditions for stage and on-camera gigs. I continue to dabble in this side of my life from time to time.
It’s pretty cool when one of those kids grows up to write a song that becomes an international hit. It’s also cool when that song works perfectly as the final tune for a fitness class.
“Stargazing,” produced by Kygo, and co-written and sung by my former private student Justin (Stein) Jesso and recently nominated for a Billboard Music Award, is my current tune of choice for cool-down.
I don’t want my clients to miss it.
Not merely because Justin is a fantastic songwriter and vocalist, but because instructors get nervous when one skips out on such an important part of the class. In theater, it’s like the curtain call.
Unless there’s an emergency, please don’t rush to beat traffic by folding up shop during the fitness class’ "curtain call." (Or actual theater, for that matter.)
Why?
Even if one aced the class or the workout, should they be doing so alone, it’s difficult to see or immediately feel all the physiological intricacies that are happening after the muscles and heart are challenged. There are valid reasons for a solid cool-down. And not just because the instructor wants you to hear her current favorite song.
We want our participants to be on time for the warm-up, also. (In case you were wondering.)
But, inspired by the Billboard nomination, let’s tackle the back-end of the workout in today’s column and some simple reasons why it’s dangerous to blow it off.
Dizziness: Exercise gets the heart pumping blood throughout the body. Stopping abruptly doesn’t allow the heart rate to return both gradually and adequately to a rested state. Instead, as a result of blooding pooling throughout the larger muscle groups of the lower body, one could experience dizziness and even fainting upon foregoing even 5-10 minutes of lower intensity movement. Want to remain upright? Cool down. Muscle fatigue and residual soreness: Slow, gentle movement reduces the buildup of lactic acid in muscles post-workout. Without doing so, one may experience fatigue and soreness, which can affect the performance of subsequent workouts, even causing one to skip a few. This buildup also contributes to the dizziness noted above. Muscles feel spent? Cool down. Shortened muscle length: Many talk a good talk about getting a good stretch, but truly, without an actual proper stretch, of the static variety while the body is warm post-workout (holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds), the lactic acid mentioned above remains and muscles fail to return to optimal length. Feeling tight? Cool down. Missed positive rewards: A cool-down provides an opportunity to take well-earned deep breaths, receive kudos from the instructor for a job well done and refocus on whatever is next in one’s day. The cool-down also provides completion, and as my husband often quotes, “Give yourself the gift of completion.” The mind-body connection shouldn’t be neglected, but rather, celebrated. Look what you just accomplished. Proud of yourself? Cool down.Instructors want to offer safe and effective workouts from start to finish. That includes the cool-down. We want to finish class by including proper injury prevention after the hard work is over, affirm one’s sense of accomplishment, provide stress relief, and have participants waking refreshed and invigorated the morning after, rather than drained and sore.
Plus, one may get to hear an awesome new song by a doting former private acting coach.
Cool down!
Joline Pinto Atkins is a certified fitness professional (ACE, NAFC) wellness coach, lifestyle weight management specialist (NESTA) and also represents Team Beachbody, the makers of proven in-home fitness programs like P90X, 21 Day Fix and Beachbody on Demand – our all access fitness streaming package. She teaches P90X and PiYo locally at B-Well Nation Fitness Center and offers complimentary consultations for developing a personal fitness/nutrition strategy. Along with coaching and teaching, she writes on a variety of topics on her personal blog, www.thecuppajo.com. Questions may be emailed to shapeupwithjo@gmail.com or at thecuppajo.com/contact.