What is a Cool Down?
Cool down is done after you are finished with your exercise session with the intent to regressively decrease your heart rate. The time span is normally 3-5 minutes and the intensity is very minimal. It is important to keep your legs moving after high intensity workouts to maintain the muscle pumping action which assists the return to blood to the veins. Examples of cardio machines you can use for cool down are the treadmill, upright cycle, recumbent bike etc. If you don't have access to machines you can march or use a stepper. Preferably, I like to be seated during cool down because it relaxes my body and gets my mind ready for stretching.
What happens inside your body when you exercise?
During rigorous exercise your heart rate and the blood flow to your muscles increases. Moreover, blood heads towards the extremities of your body. When you stop exercising the blood flow naturally returns to it's normal circulation (which is to flow to the heart and the brain) this process is called Venous Return.
What does Cooling Down do?
Cooling down thoroughly assists the process of Venous Return. The movement of muscles contract and squeeze vessels assisting the return to normal circulation. Moreover, the gradual decrease of heart rate reduces immense stress on the heart muscle.
What happens when you don't Cool Down?
If you stop exercising suddenly, the heart will continue to pump blood at exercising rate. Due to this, the blood will get stuck or 'pool' in your extremities (more particularly your legs.) This ramification is called Blood Pooling. Common symptoms of Blood Pooling includes dizziness, nausea and fainting because not enough blood is reaching the brain. If you are not cooling down after your workout I urge you to try it next time as I am assured that you will feel the difference. Cooling down has become like clock work for me and I can't harp enough on it's importance.
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