When finishing an exercise session our heart rate, blood pressure and core body temperature are obviously in a much higher state than normal. Alongside performing stretches it's equally as important to find a way to cool down your body temperature so you can prevent a number of effects that may occur as a result of not doing so. Below are some of the effects to watch out for. 👀
Prevents Fainting: Cooling down gradually prevents sudden drops in blood pressure that can cause dizziness & fainting.
Keeps blood flowing: Cooling down keeps blood flowing smoothly and prevents blood from trapping or pooling inside your tired muscles.
Brings your heart rate down: Bringing your body temperature down will enable your heart rate to slow down at a healthy rate rather than shocking your system with a sudden abrupt stop.
When your body temperature is increased from exercise heat exhaustion may also occur which can cause a number of negative symptoms including headache, nausea, fatigue, sweating, rapid heartbeat and more. It's important that if you sense heat exhaustion that you find a way to quickly hydrate yourself and cool yourself down. Left unchecked heat exhaustion can be dangerous.
Alongside the obvious ways of cooling down here are some other ways you can successfully bring your core temperature down after working out.
Take a cool bath or shower: Immersing yourself in cool water can very quickly bring down your temps.
Have a drink rich in electrolytes: Drinking fluids with electrolytes helps replenish what you lost through sweating which aids in temperature regulation.
Use ice packs: Place ice packs or frozen food packages (peas work well) on your pulse points (wrists, neck & temples) for rapid cooling effects.
Fan yourself: Use a large or handheld fan such as our post workout fan which can be found by clicking here to help sweat evaporate and cool your skin more effectively.
Your body's natural way of cooling down is through sweat however if your temperature gets too high your sweat becomes much less effective. Through actively cooling your temperature such as with a fan after a workout you will ensure your body stays in a much healthier state and prevent any of the above problems.
Happy cooling :)
- Kieran (Founder, Fitenhance)