After a grueling workout you need to spend some time bringing your body back to rest. This is often times the most enjoyable part of the workout. You worked hard to reap the benefits of a good cool down. Let the endorphins flow and soak up the satisfaction of getting out there and getting it done. Enjoy it!
Benefits of a cool down:
- prevent venous pooling in legs which could lead to dizziness
- Bring heart rate and breathing back to resting
- Remove lactic acid to reduce soreness
- Prevent injuries
Ideas for the cool down, just like the warm up, find out what works for you:
- spend 5-10 mins doing your activity at a relaxed pace
- Hamstring stretch (bending forward at the waist, bring one foot forward, keeping the knee straight and bend down grabbing your toes, you should feel this stretch on the back of the leg. Repeat on the other side)
- Calf stretch (start by facing a wall and stick one leg back pushing your heel to the floor, this stretches the gastroc muscle. Now in the same position, bend the knee to feel a deeper stretch in the calf, that is the soleus muscle)
- Butterfly (sit on the ground with your feet together and pulled close to your body, with your elbows, gently press down on your knees for a deeper stretch)
- Figure 4 (lying on your back, place the outside of your right ankle on top of your left knee, now place your hands behind your left knee and pull that towards your chest. You should feel this stretch deep in you right gluteal region)
- Low back stretch (lying on your back, bring your right knee up to your hip and then drop it over the left hip, keeping your back flat on the floor, you should feel this stretching the low back. Repeat on the other side)
- Foam rolling- after a workout, now is the time to slowly roll until you feel a tender point. Hold it until you feel the muscle relax or 60 seconds, then find another spot and repeat. You may have a lot at first and you might not get to them all but that’s okay, as you make this a part of your regular routine it will get easier and faster.
Here are a couple of foam rollers I love to use:
Massage gun- rapid compression massage increased blood flow and helps relax muscles after a hard workout. 
Now its time for that post workout nutrition!