1. Warm-Up, Stretch, & Cool-Down “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” ~Benjamin Franklin

2. Why Warm-Up? Prepares your body physically and psychologically Increases blood flow to your muscles and increases your body temperature. –Achieve optimal performance –Reduce the risk of injury

3. How do you Warm-Up? The warm-up should last about five minutes. Slow walking is a good warm-up for a moderate-paced walk. Brisk walking is a good warm-up for more vigorous activity.

4. Warm-Up Conditions Make sure your warm-up does the following: –Increases heart rate –Increases breathing rate –Elevates body temperature –Utilizes muscles you will use in the upcoming activity –Takes your joints through a full rage of motion needed for the upcoming activity

5. Stretching Light stretching should be done after the warm-up Deep stretching after the entire workout Remember to breathe when you stretch! Benefits of stretching, include: –Improving and maintaining joint range of motion –Helps reduce risk of injury –Helps reduce soreness –Promotes better posture –Improves circulation –Relieves stress

6. Warm-Up Stretching After the warm-up, stretch the muscles that you will be using during your workout. Each stretch should last 10-30 seconds. Going on a Walk? Concentrate on stretching your… –Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, adductors, hip flexors, calves, and lower back.

7. Workout Remember that your workout should be at a moderate intensity: –The ‘Talk Test’ –Your Target Heart Rate Range (between 60% and 85% of your maximal heart rate)

8. Cool-Down Never skip this step of your workout! If you abruptly stop an intense activity, you risk: –Increasing your chance of experiencing heart arrhythmias –Hindering the removal of cellular waste from your muscles, increasing the likelihood of muscle soreness –Blood pooling –Becoming light-headed

9. How do you Cool-Down? Slow the intensity of the activity you are doing Gradually slow your pace down to a walk End the cool-down by doing some deep stretching. –Focus on the muscles that you were using during your workout, this will help reduce the incidence of stiffness or soreness later.

10. Cool-Down Stretching After the entire workout, stretch the whole body. Make sure to focus on the muscles that were used during the workout. Each stretch should last 20-30 seconds and be repeated.

11. Cool-Down Benefits Slowly ending your workout gives your body a chance to: –Relax –Decrease your heart rate –Decrease your breathing rate Reduces potential for muscle soreness Reduces chance of dizziness or fainting

12. Power Panther Professionals School-Wide Announce to students that teachers will be focusing on increasing their levels of physical activity. Encourage students to “catch” teachers doing something physically active. Take students on at least a 10-minute walk. –Encourage incorporating a warm-up, stretching, and a cool-down during the walk. Incorporate physical activity into a lesson plan. Ask students about their favorite activities including warm-up, stretches, and cool-downs. Sponsor a school-wide fitness activity like a fitness night or an intramural league.