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| warm up and cool down |
| Courtesy of adidas |
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| The Warm Up |
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For slow to medium steady jogs it is enough if you run very slowly for approx. 5-10 minutes (in winter just walk briskly for the first 2 minutes), then take a break of approximately 5 minutes for stretching. Hold the stretches for only 8-12 seconds in the warm up phase and stretch lightly, so that the muscle tissue is not overstrained. 2-3 stretches are enough for each muscle group. Before intensive running (fast jogging, timed jogs, timed runs) and particularly before a competition, run for 10-20 minutes (depending on the intensity), followed by 5 minutes of stretching. After this, do a few interval runs, gradually increasing speed. Finally, jog slowly for 5 minutes. Before a competition, you should have another 10-15 minute break before the starting gun goes off. Before a marathon, jog for 5 minutes, stretch for 5 minutes, and then run 2 light intervals for another 5 minutes, gradually increasing in speed. |
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| The Cool Down |
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With normal jogs, it is enough if you run the last kilometer (or the last minutes) at a slower pace. After intensive exercise and competitions you should run slowly for 10-15 minutes, as the body needs this time to wind down. Follow your cool-down with 10 minutes of stretching exercises (even after normal jogging), holding the stretches for 20-25 seconds and not pushing too hard. If the training or competition was so hard that you don't feel like stretching at all, leave it out, but keep it fairly consistent. |
