four Cool down myths
What is a cool down and are they necessary?
I’m glad you asked! A cool down is 5-15 minutes of walking or light jogging after a workout.
Are they necessary? Yes, but they may not be doing what you think.
The cool down (CD) is an opportunity for gentle re-entry to normal life after a workout. It jump starts recovery and helps you feel better. Cool downs have been credited with a lot of things that they aren’t really doing BUT they’re still important and useful after a run, if you do them right. Let’s chat more about the what and why.
Jogging removes lactic acid
Not really. Lactic acid is moving through your body regardless of what you do. The jog after a hard effort is helpful because it’s hard on your body to go from 100 to 0 mph at once.
Your heart rate is elevated when you’re running and an immediate stop will cause a dramatic drop in heart rate which can cause dizziness and blood pooling in your extremities.
A good cool-down will help prevent soreness caused by lactic acid build up
Muscle soreness is caused by muscle damage, not lactic acid. If you run hard or long enough to feel sore you’re STILL going to get sore regardless of how well you cool down.
A good Cool Down improves performance on your next workout
Unless you’re doing a another workout soon (another run or another sport within the next 20 minutes) a CD isn’t going to change much of anything about your performance on your next run and it wont take the place of a good rest day or recovery run the day after a hard workout
A Cool Down is just junk miles and can be cut if you’re short on time
NOOOO!! A CD is a great opportunity to get in some extra easy mileage, feel better from your run faster, and incorporate some mobility work when your muscles are warm and most primed. The only time a mile is a junk mile is if you’re in pain or doing it for the wrong reasons. Remember, running is all about feeling good and supporting your mental health— not controlling your weight or keeping up with other runners on Strava.
Finishing your run with a few minutes of light jogging will help you to feel better and shift into recovery mode faster than if you were to plop on the couch or jump into the car immediately after. If nothing else-- feeling better faster will make the run a more enjoyable experience and it’s a great place to build more volume to your weekly mileage. Easy paced miles are the building blocks to building a strong aerobic engine and every easy mile counts.
Note: your cool down runs should be dramatically slower than your workout pace. Walking is great and counts too!
While you’re at it-- tack on 5 minutes off mobility work and stretching to help your body calm down and heal.
Did you learn anything? Tell me in the comments below!
