It’s the one thing many of us (non-professional, anyway) fitness enthusiasts tend to conveniently forget/ignore/completely disregard; Warming up & Cooling down effectively. Yet doing so drastically minimises your chances of injury and can also reduce the severity of the dreaded DOMS.
I know how much I struggle with even the most simple of tasks when I’ve got a bad case of DOMS (mainly not being able to sit on and in turn get up off the toilet) so if this post can help you and/or I suffer less when performing minor tasks, then all was not in vain.
Warming up really is fundamental to your workout, doing so gently eases your body into the intense exercise a head which can considerably reduce the chances of injury. The increased blood flow which is induced by warming up promotes loosening of the muscles meaning there is far less tension in them when you do begin exerting more stress on them through exercise.
Warming up also gently increases your heart rate minimising stress here also, in turn lessening the initial demand on circulatory and metabolic systems. This process enables your body to slowly divert your blood flow to the working muscle groups. You should begin to perspire during your warm up but not experience any form of exhaustion so for a normal Cardio and weight session 5 minutes always seems like a good place to start.
Walking/Jogging
Dynamic & Specific stretches
Just as important as The Warm up but for me, even more over looked. The aim of the cool down is to gradually return your body, muscles, heart rate and blood flow to a resting state. Once I have completed the various stages of my work out I try to schedule in 3-5 minutes of cooling down where my aim is to slowly bring any intense running to either a jog or a brisk walk returning my muscles to a more relaxed motion. I also like to ensure I have a fresh and cool litre of water in my Brita Water bottle to help regulate my body temperature. The cooling down process will also ensure your breathing returns to a normal pattern along side your body which together is a saving grace for preventing DOMS, aiding overall recovery and your bodies efficiency during the repair process.
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”814321″]
Ready for an afternoon in the early Autumn sunshine on horseback
Ad outfit
Leggings @lemieuxproductsofficial
Top @gymshark
Blazer Lydia Millen x @karen_millen
Earrings @astridandmiyu
Boots @amazonfashioneu
Gloves @hollandcooperclothing
Ad When the turn of the seasons encourages you to wrap up in classic clothing from the beautiful British brand that is @lkbennettlondon , retreat to a cosy, country hotel and hunker down for afternoon tea with your husband. Use LYDIALKB20 for 20% off until 28th October #WearingLKB paid partnership
I had so many messages about my work from home outfit last week I thought I’d share it complete with accessories
Ad Outfit
Jumper @goelia_official
Trousers @lkbennettlondon
Shoes @emmylondonofficial
Jacket @marcelalondon_
Fragrance @diorbeauty La Colle Noire
Can you guess where I’m off to for afternoon tea?
Ad Outfit
Coat @lkbennettlondon
Dress @aavelleofficial
Hat & boots @hollandcooperclothing
Fragrance @penhaligons_london
Tights @wolford
The Autumn Equinox has arrived and as the nights draw in there’s so many opportunities to reconnect with nature.
Hosting a very special breakfast for my girls in honour of @princestrust and @thebrilliantbreakfast to raise money to help young women turn their lives around through work, education and training. A donation of £5 can enable a woman to simply travel to an interview which could go on to change her life forever so I would absolutely love it if you would join me in hosting your own Brilliant Breakfast between the 9th and 15th October, whether it’s simply coffee with a close friend, or encouraging your entire office to get involved, the funds raised will go towards helping young women, aged 11-30 create better futures for themselves.
And thank you to my angel @hello.petal.flowers for giving her time and creative flare to bring my vision for the breakfast to life, of course you don’t have to go with florals like me, but if that’s something you enjoy this is the perfect opportunity to throw a lovely breakfast with your girlfriends with a cause that will help so many other women, front and centre!
Ad Because being old fashioned is always fashionable
Such an honour to drive to @goodwoodrevival with the @astonmartin team in the iconic DB5 to celebrate 110 years of the brand and 60 years of the DB5.
Outfit
Dress @dior
Hat @aavelleofficial
Gloves @cornelia_james
Jewellery @garrard