Is The Cool Down Another Exercise Myth? The Short Answer Is “Yes”.

Is the benefit of cooling down just another exercise myth? The short answer, according to Gretchen Reynolds, of the New York Times, is “yes”. Reynolds points us to a recent study of 36 active adults, who did a strenuous, one-time program of forward lunges while holding barbells, an exercise, Reynolds says, “almost guaranteed to make untrained people extremely sore the next day.” Some of the group warmed up for 20 minutes on a stationary bike. Another contingent blew off the warm up, but did cool down with 20 minutes on the bike. A third group neither warmed up nor cooled down. And the winner, in terms of pain the next day, is….. Those who warmed up had the least pain; those who cooled down hurt, and those who did nothing also hurt. In fact, says Reynolds, the cool down did nothing to relieve pain the day after exercise. Wait, there’s more. In fact, there are two more studies that Reynolds cites that support the argument that cool downs do not relieve pain. Read more in the New York Times.