Active cool down

The cool down is a post-exercise period where the body naturally returns to its baseline state.

This can be achieved passively, by merely stopping at the whistle, or actively, to gradually reduce exercise intensity to get back to your baseline.

An active cool down has been shown to accelerate recovery of lactate in the blood, and can prevent immune system vulnerability, post-exercise, while promoting a faster recovery of cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

However, there is minimal evidence that active cool downs can reduce muscle soreness or directly improve range of motion. 

Nevertheless, I would recommend doing a simple, active cool down for the clear, important benefits that can be reaped.

Example cool down

1. Slow movement

3 minutes

Slowly jog the width of the pitch, then walk the width back. This will lead to the heart rate dropping at a steadier decline.

2. Mobility exercise

3 minutes

Perform a mobility exercise, then walk a small distance and repeat. In terms of which exercise to do, consider one of the following...

• World’s greatest stretch
• Lunge with overhead reach
• Open and close the gates
• 90-90 hip holds
• Cossack squats
• Squat with thoracic openers

3. Static stretching

3 minutes

Static stretching often gets a bad press. However, if the athlete feels they get benefit from performing some at the end of a cool down, then there is no harm in including them.

There are no dangers to static stretching, post-exercise. A few 20-30 seconds’ hold in different static stretches as a team is a nice way to end the cool down and start the team debrief.