Happy Monday to yinz! Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to tackle a new week! This week I wanted to start things off by doing some more “relaxing” sorts of exercises. I haven’t really touched the subject matter of cooling down after high volume exercise, so today, I’m dedicating a blog post to that. The cool down!
A lot of my newer clients ask me about how to cool down after high volume exercise. So, without further adieu, here’s a step by step guide to how to properly progress your 
body downward into recovery mode after all your heavy lifting.
Step 1. Lower the heart rate.
Most people tend to do active activities such as jogging at a light pace or walking around for a few laps. I generally tell people to walk around and “shake off” any excess tension after a heavy lifting session. This is important because standing still after a lot of high volume lifting is incredibly taxing on your heart. In short, your heart has to pump harder to get blood to all your muscles and organs if you’re standing still, and it may pump too hard for some people. Walking around allows the heart to slowly calm to a halt while supplying necessary blood flow to the rest of your body. So, walk around and shake it off so you don’t come to a screeching halt, ya heard? 😉
Step 2. Stretch.
If you have a stretch band or yoga strap, be sure to get some calf and quad stretches in after a lot of kettlebell swings. Another favorite of mine is the RKC Frog stretch, which is designed to open up your hips and release tension after a heavy session. Check out that stretch below!
Step 3. Hydrate Yourself
Water is your friend, but if you’re out training for hours in the heat (like I did last year in Florida. . .My God!), I have something for yinz that may hydrate you beyond what 
water can do. Keeping in mind that you will lose a lot of water and minerals when you sweat a ton, you’re going to need to replenish those vital nutrients. I continue to stand by Beyond Organic’s Sueroviv for this very reason. High volume training for longer cycles is more taxing than the average workout. Check out Sueroviv here and be sure to get some today! My top two favorites are Raspberry and Green. Just sayin 😉
Step 4. EAT!
This is my favorite part of the cool down for obvious reasons 😉 . Generally speaking, I have a recovery meal after each training session. That may constitute a hearty meal or even a hearty protein shake. Currently, I am experimenting with a lot of sweet potato shakes that have become simply too amazing to keep a secret. Check out my previous blog post that shares the recipe for my post workout sweet potato smoothie! Trust me, your taste buds will thank you for it!
For a more comprehensive guide to cooling down, warming up, and how to get a great workout in between, check out Tribe Sports for some amazing articles on this subject! That’s all for today! As always, remember to eat smart, train hard, and enjoy your life!
Love Always,
Janelle Pica-HKC, CPT
