Warming up, cooling down and stretching are all important.

Warm up.

A warm up is needed to prepare our body for physical activity, more specifically your joints and muscles.

Warming up prepares you mentally and physically for your chosen activity.

It’s usually some low-intensity aerobic (meaning heart pumping) exercise and dynamic stretching movements related to your activity.

Cool down.

The cool down is all about lowering the body temperature and heart rate back to normal.

A cool down will normally include very light aerobic activity and static (sustained) stretching.

Performing some light aerobic activity after exercise like walking will help return the body temperature back to baseline and continue to aid oxygen delivery to the muscles for faster recovery. This will help to rid the muscles of lactic acid and other chemicals built up throughout the exercise, reducing the risk of delayed onset muscles soreness.

Stretching.

It's good to stretch when you're cooling down. Your limbs, muscles and joints are still warm. Stretching helps your body’s muscles to relax and return back to their normal range of movement.

It helps improve flexibility + maintain a healthy range of motion in joints, reducing the risk of injury + contributes to overall joint health.

Stretching also helps with body awareness.

How conscious and connected you are to your own body.

Understanding what your body is communicating and how it moves, can help you better meet your own needs.

When you’re more aware of your body’s cues, you can better understand what you need from moment to moment, which is linked with greater levels of self awareness and self -acceptance.

Incorporating these practices into your fitness regime can contribute to long-term physical health and well-being.

In short, it’s good for you.