| HEALTHY LIVING TIPS  |
Warming Up and Cooling Down Your body is like a machine that runs more smoothly when it’s warm. A warm-up helps prepare your body for activity and reduces your chance of injury. Start by moving at a slow pace to gently raise your heart rate and increase the blood flow to your muscles and joints. After 5 minutes, do some general stretches of leg, arm, shoulder and back muscles. Start with your large muscle groups. Stretch to the point just before you feel discomfort and hold the stretch for a minimum of 10 - 20 seconds. Breathe normally and stay relaxed. No bouncing allowed. The Activity Session – READY, SET, GO! Once your body’s warmed up, you’re ready to go. Start at a slow pace, take breaks (if necessary), and enjoy what you’re doing. Too much too soon will result in stiff muscles and possibly an injury - and not being able to engage in your activity or game. Try to accumulate 30 - 60 minutes of physical activity each day. You can start with 10 minutes sessions, 3 times a day, if 30 minutes all at once is too much at first. While at home, at work, at school, at play and along the way build physical activity into your day. After all your hard work and effort, your body needs to cool down before you stop. Slow your pace and continue to move for about 5 minutes. Cooling down allows your heart rate to return close to resting levels and helps prevent pooling of blood in your limbs. Once your heart rate has slowed down, stretch each of your working muscles. The same rules apply as in the warm up: stretch to the point just before you feel discomfort, hold for 10 - 20 seconds, breathe normally and stay relaxed. You may find you can stretch farther during the cool down, as your muscles are warmer and more flexible. Stretches and Back Care Exercises Canada's Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living (PDF) |